The Wilson Times – by Tyler Stocks
GREENVILLE — No charges will be filed in a Christmas Eve shooting death that was the result of a domestic incident, the Pitt County Sheriff’s Office reported on Friday.
Pitt County Sheriff Paula Dance said that 44-year-old George Thomas Chance was shot and killed by his son, 20-year-old Gejuan Chance, during a violent domestic dispute that took place about 6 p.m. on Dec. 24.
An investigation revealed that George Chance was armed with a weapon of some kind, had assaulted his wife and was threatening her and the children.
When deputies arrived at the home, located at 3372 Old River Road northwest of Greenville, they found George Chance dead.
“From the looks of the investigation at this point, it appears that there was a domestic violence situation going on with (George Chance) being the aggressor,” Dance said.
“It was a violent situation and at some point, (Chance) was shot,” she said. “I believe it was about three or four shots to the body and he died on scene.
“The shooter was his son, a 20-year-old male, who was protecting his mother, as it appears at this point,” Dance said.
Dance said that it appears the use of force by Gejuan Chance was justified in this situation, and that at this point no charges will be filed in the case.
The domestic dispute was one of many between the couple, Dance said. There was a long history of domestic violence in the home, she said, but the sheriff’s office had not been called previously.
At the time of the shooting, three other children younger than 18 were inside the home.
Dance noted that Gejuan Chance is serving in the military as a U.S. Marine.
The mother had evident injuries, but Dance said she was unsure of the extent of those injuries.
Dance said the shooting underlines the problem of domestic violence in Pitt County, and the sheriff’s office is taking a proactive approach to tackling the issue.
“We have a unit that solely works on domestic issues,” she said. “Unfortunately, we can’t catch them all. When people don’t report, we don’t know that these things are going on.
“It’s your community and we should look after each other,” Dance said. “I would highly encourage people, even if it’s anonymously, to please call the sheriff’s office when you know that people are in situations (where they) are afraid to seek help themselves.”
“I would highly encourage people, even if it’s anonymously, to please call the sheriff’s office when you know that people are in situations (where they) are afraid to seek help themselves.”
I would highly encourage people NOT to call.
Good for this son!!