GASTONIA, N.C. — A judge has dismissed a lawsuit against law enforcement officers involved in the fatal shooting of Jason Lipscomb nearly four years ago.
The ruling determined that the Gastonia police officers and Gaston County deputies used force that was warranted under the circumstances.
The judge’s decision to dismiss the family’s legal claim was primarily based on police body camera footage of the 2021 incident.
The ruling comes after Lipscomb’s family sued last year, alleging that officers went too far during a confrontation down the street from a local home.
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The incident occurred as Gastonia police and Gaston County deputies attempted to arrest Lipscomb, who was accused of kidnapping his child from a day care center.
While officers already had the child in their custody, security camera footage showed Lipscomb running from authorities and jumping into a vehicle. Shots were fired as he began to drive away from the scene.
Robert Hamlett, Lipscomb’s father, witnessed the shooting and maintained that the officers’ actions were excessive.
“They shot my son,” Hamlett said. The family filed the lawsuit in 2025, arguing that the use of deadly force was not justified after Lipscomb entered the car.
The judge described the confrontation as a chaotic scene. According to the ruling, Lipscomb did not follow orders to stop hitting an officer before he attempted to flee. The judge wrote that the other officers present “were entitled to respond” to the situation.
In the dismissal, the judge cited legal precedents regarding the use of force against suspects in vehicles.
“The Supreme Court has approved officers continuing to fire at a fleeing vehicle no longer directly threatening officers if a dangerous suspect ‘never abandoned his attempt to flee,’” the judge wrote. He added that when Lipscomb continued to drive, he presented a threat to the community.
The ruling also noted that the officers were protected by qualified immunity. The judge stated that this legal doctrine “is designed to protect law enforcement officers from bad guesses in gray areas.”
Lipscomb’s parents and their attorney have not yet confirmed if they plan to appeal the dismissal. Representatives for the family have not yet responded to requests for comment regarding their next legal steps.
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