NC: Special Forces Soldier Cleared in Shooting of Chechnya Native

On May 3, 2024, a U.S. Army Special Forces Soldier shot and killed a Chechen national. The incident occurred at the Soldier's rural home, about 15 miles from Fort Brag (Liberty), North Carolina, after sunset. Sunset on May 3, 2024 occurred at 8:03 p.m. The initial 911 call to police was placed at 8:12 p.m. The shooting occurred shortly after 8:25 p.m.

The soldier's wife was outside their residence with their children when she noticed a man dressed in a burgundy t-shirt, black shorts, and flipflops who appeared to be taking pictures of her house, children and herself. She informed her husband who approached the individual to speak with them. There was a language barrier. The soldier asked the individual to leave. The individual became aggressive and refused to leave. The soldier retrieved a handgun from his home and returned to ensure his family's safety. Another, more urgent call was made to 911 at 8:25 p.m. From the sheriff's report, released on August 12, 2024:

The confrontation escalated when Daraev reportedly became agitated and lunged at the homeowner after repeatedly refusing to leave the property. The homeowner reported firing several shots in response to Daraev’s advance. Under the North Carolina Castle Doctrine, the homeowner's actions are protected, providing legal justification for using defensive force.

 

Investigators uncovered that the only identification associated with Daraev was an International Driver's License found in his Chevrolet Spark, which was parked along Dowd Road and registered to him out of Chicago, Illinois. No items identifying him as a utility worker were found on his person or in his vehicle.

The person shot was identified as Ramzan Daraev, a Chechnya national who had crossed the Southern border on December 16, 2022. Daraev was employed by a subcontractor of Utilities One, named Cable Warriors. Utilities One is based out of New Jersey, and is run by CEO Serghei Busmachiu. Serghei Busmachiu is an immigrant from Moldova.  Investigation by the Moore County Sheriff's office indicate other members of the subcontractor routinely took pictures and did surveys of utility lines in the area after dark, without any identifying uniforms or clothing and without notifying homeowners of the nature of their work. The work was explained as a legitimate survey prior to possible installation of fiber optic services.

The only item in Daraev's possession was the cell phone he was taking pictures with. The sheriff's office had not been able to unlock the cell phone at the time the report was written, but had made the phone and other evidence available to the FBI and the Army Criminal Investigative Division. Some images from Daraev's phone were able to be retrieved from a Russian cloud server.

The Sheriff's office concluded the shooting was justified under North Carolina castle doctrine law:

After a thorough review of the case by the Moore County Sheriff’s Office and Moore County District Attorney, including evidence collected at the scene, digital evidence, witness statements, and the pattern of gunshot wounds and shell casings, it was determined that no charges will be filed against the homeowner involved in the incident. The determination of justification is based on the reasonable belief of the homeowner, considering the totality of the facts known to the homeowner at the time of the shooting, and the North Carolina Castle Doctrine. The homeowner’s actions were deemed justifiable under the North Carolina Castle Doctrine, which allows for the use of defensive force in situations where there is a perceived imminent threat to personal and family safety within one's home or property.

Analysis: 

A special forces soldier shooting a Chechnya national within forty yards of his rural home, 15 miles from Fort Brag, North Carolina is an unusual circumstance. It is tragic for the family and friends of Ramzan Daraev. It is the sort of peculiar circumstance expected to happen when the borders were opened wide by a corrupt Biden administration. The Biden administration appears to have placed foreign interests ahead of American interests in numerous circumstances. The Biden administration quashed a grant to Elon Musk's Starlink to provide rural broadband service. Perhaps a Trump administration will consider the case more closely.

©2024 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

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