“We’ve seen far too many situations locally and across the country of police misconduct and brutality to just assume everything was done by the book in this case,” said chapter President David Harvey. In a statement. “We’re glad the (North Carolina) State Bureau of Investigation is involved. Whenever there is a death in police custody, the public needs to have complete confidence in the investigation that follows.”

Harvey said in the statement if there are any doubts about the professionalism and impartiality of the SBI probe, “We can go to our NAACP State Conference of Branches and request (Reverend) William Barber ask the (United States) Department of Justice to investigate. For the time being, we are watching and waiting for more facts to be announced.”

The events unfolded just after 11 p.m. Saturday when the Enfield Police Department received a call about a breaking and entering in progress at a local business on Whitfield Street.

The SBI reported in a statement that once on scene, Enfield Police Department Lieutenant Jerry Powell encountered a man identified as Michael Tyrone Gallagher, 55, of Midlothian, Virginia.

After a confrontation, Powell and a witness became engaged in a scuffle with Gallagher. During the confrontation, Powell’s Taser was deployed and contacted Gallagher.

Powell and the witness were able to restrain Gallagher in handcuffs.

Halifax County EMS was dispatched to the location for assessment and treatment of injuries to all three individuals.

EMS found Gallagher unresponsive and he was immediately transported to Halifax Regional Medical Center where he was pronounced dead on Sunday.