City of Asheville seeks release of body-cam footage for clarity

From Staff Reports

 Asheville City Attorney Brad Branham has filed paperwork on behalf of the city asking a judge to release police body camera video taken during a May 13 arrest of a black man by three white Asheville Police Department officers in an incident that triggered a protest and allegations by the man’s fiancé, Carrie Speigle, and activists that the APD actions constituted an “assault.”

Meanwhile, Asheville television station WLOS (News 13) reported May 18,

“Fallout continues over the arrest of Devon (Lewis Rayshawn) Whitmire. The 27-year-old was involved in an altercation with Asheville Police Department officers as they attempted to serve a warrant and take him into custody on May 13.”

The three officers from the Asheville Police Department who handled the May 13 arrest of Devon Whitmire did so in textbook fashion and deserve accolades, rather than accusations of assault and racism in the aftermath, according to local FOP President Rondell Lance.

In a May 20 interview with the Daily Planet, Lance said

he had viewed the video (of the incident that was taken by Whitmire’s fiancé) several times, but hasn’t talked to anyone involved.

“I looked at it from the viewpoint… to determine the whole situation...”

From Staff Reports 

The recently unveiled local 2023 Point-In-Time Count unveiled on May 11 shows that the number of  homeless people in Asheville and Buncombe County who are sheltered is decreasing, while the number of those who are unsheltered continues to increase.

Overall, the count indicated that there are 573 people who are homeless in Asheville and Buncombe. The count also showed that 402 people are sheltered and 171 people are unsheltered.

“While that is a decrease from the PIT count in 2022, the concern lies in the number of unsheltered people continuously increasing since the COVID pandemic,” Asheville television station WLOS (News 13) noted in a May 11 report. “In 2020, there were 65 unsheltered people compared to this year’s 171.”

What’s more, given what News 13 described as “ significantly high number of unsheltered people, Buncombe County is looking to hire a homelessness program manager.”

The position was created and approved by the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners in March and the newly created job resulted from a recommendation from the National Alliance to End Homelessness, Matthew Cable, the county’s community development division manager, said.

“They had recommended that we actually add a staff person that would be dedicated to addressing homelessness issues in our community,” Cable was quoted as saying by News 13.

Further, News 13 noted, “Cable said that the role will be to serve as a resource coordinator and bolster the county’s efforts in addressing homelessness.

“He said the Homeless Initiative Advisory Committee has continued to evolve since the alliance’s study. Because of that, Cable said the level of investment by the city and county has increased.

“‘They’ll be responding to requests for funding and be the conduit between the Continuum of Care Board and its activities and county,’ he said,” News 13 reported.

Sate Sen. Timothy D. “Tim” Moffitt, R-Hendersonville, provided a North Carolina legislative update during an early-morning meeting of the Asheville-based Council of Independent Business Owners on May 12 at UNC Asheville’s Sherrill Center

Moffitt, who represents N.C. Senate District 48 (Henderson, Polk and Rutherford counties), was the only speaker at the meeting. He split his alloted hour almost in half, beginning with an update, and finishing with an extended question-and-answer session. About 50 people attended.

Moffitt was introduced by Buzzy Cannady, CIBO president and meeting moderator, who noted that he served two consecutive terms in the state House of Representatives and then he served an unexpired term on a member of the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners who had resigned.

In May 2019, Henderson County’s Chuck McGrady announced his retirement from the State House. By August, Moffitt decided he would run in 2020 to succeed his friend and former colleague, a race which he won easily.

Moffitt announced on Dec. 3, 2021 that he would run for the newly drawn State Senate District 48. The seat, which he won, was being vacated by Republican Chuck Edwards, who ran for U.S. Congress, and won Rep. Madison Cawthorn’s seat.

Beginning on a playful note, Moffitt triggered laughter from the CIBO audience when he quipped, “It’s always interesting to come north of the DMZ (demilitarized zone),” which, he said, is bordered by the Blue Ridge Parkway between Henderson County and Buncombe County. (Politically, Henderson leans to the right, while Buncombe leans far to the left).