R.C. Thomas, local negro, was killed in a fight with Patrolman Robert Faggart and C.C. Sloop about 2 o’clock this morning on a vacant lot near Tournament Street. A coroner’s jury this morning exonerated Patrolman Sloop, who testified that he shot the negro when the latter threatened to “get” him.
The verdict of the jury, which was composed by Joe Andrews, Bread Sturgiss, Tom Hendrix, William Cline, Sterling Brown and Clarence Purefoy, reads:
“We, the undersigned coroner’s jury, have investigated the death of R.C. Thompson (colored) and in our opinion death was caused by a pistol bullet fired by Patrolman C.C. Sloop and in our opinion said Sloop was justified in killing Thompson while in pursuance of his duties and in self-defense.”
Evidence was given at the coroner’s inquest, which was held this morning at 9 o’clock in the Bell & Harris undertaking Parlors was:
Patrolmen Sloop, Faggart, Robinson and Hopkins were called to a negro dance hall several times during the night to restore order. On the last trip Sloop and Faggart approached the dance hall from one direction and the other officers from another directions. When Sloop and Faggart got near the hall they saw Thompson, who was drunk. Sloop placed him under arrest, turned him over to Faggart and went inside to see what was going on.
When he returned, Sloop said, he and Faggart got the negro as far as the car when he bolted, jumped from Faggart’s grip and started to run. Faggart jumped on his back and they scuffled for a minute. The negro ran again, said the officer, with Faggart again stopping him. For the second time the negro and officer fought on the ground.
The negro freed himself again and ran about 75 feet before Faggart caught him again. Again he escaped and started around behind a church building. Sloop went one way and Faggart the other, the latter officer and the negro fighting again at the bottom of a hill behind the church.
At this point the couple fell into a ditch, the negro falling on top. He kicked Faggart, the officer said, at a vital spot, and then Faggart called:
“Come on, Charlie, he’s got me.”
Sloop ran up then and also fell into the ditch. Just then, Sloop testified, Thompson said, “yes, and G--- D--- you, I’ll get you too.”
It was then that he fired. Sloop said, as the negro pointed his hand at him as though it held something in it.
Faggart told the jury that he was unconscious after being kicked and Patrolman Robinson, who reached the scene of the tragedy just after Sloop fired, said Faggart could not get up.
Sloop said he fired twice. Only one bullet was found on the dead man’s body. Coroner Hartsell told the jury, the bullet entering the man’s body near his neck and just to the right of the middle line of the body.
Chief Talbert was called before the jury to give the police record of the dead negro. He read that the negro was arrested in March, 1924, for being intoxicated and for driving a car while intoxicated, and again in May, 1925, for carrying a concealed weapon and for being intoxicated.
Although the negro had been searched near the dance hall, Officer Sloop said, he did not know but what his assailant had picked up a rock while falling down the hill. He did not know whether Faggard had been struck with a rock or otherwise hurt. Patrolman Robinson said he thought when he first saw Faggart that the latter was dead.
Patrolman Sloop said Thompson was right at him when he fired, and Coroner Hartsell testified that there were powder burns on the dead man.
From the front page of The Concord Daily Tribune, Oct. 6, 1925
newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn92073201/1925-10-06/ed-1/seq-1/
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