Family of teen shot by Greensboro officer appeals judge's decision to dimiss lawsuit
The family of a teenager shot and killed by a Greensboro police officer during a traffic stop in August 2022 will take their case to the Court of Appeals after a judge dismissed their wrongful death lawsuit against the city.
Nasanto Antonio "Duke" Crenshaw was a 17-year-old from Hope Mills. According to the Greensboro Police Department, Crenshaw was driving a stolen vehicle when he was stopped on West Market Street on Aug. 28, 2022. Police said two other teenagers, ages 17 and 15, were riding inside it.
Greensboro police say as officers approached the car, Crenshaw drove away. When the vehicle was stopped for a second time, several teens jumped out and ran away. Police say Crenshaw then hit the gas again – and that's when he was shot.
Family filed lawsuit after 17-year-old's death
Crenshaw's mother, Wakita Doriety, announced a federal lawsuit against the city of Greensboro and the officer who killed her son. Doriety said her son's loss is a hole that can never be filled.
"I hurt every day,' Doriety said. "I cry all day, every day. It wasn't supposed to be this way."
The lawsuit claimed excessive force, assault, battery and wrongful death.
"My son should've came home that night, but he didn't," Doriety said. “I’ll never get to hug my son again. I’ll never get to hold his hand or tell him I love him. They stole my son from me."
The family and their supporters argue the officer was not in danger, in part because Crenshaw was only driving about 5 miles per hour. Their supporters include social justice organizer Rev. Gregory Drumwright.
"Nasanto did not use his vehicle as a weapon," Drumwright said. "When Nasanto was shot dead, his vehicle was pointed in the opposite direction of the police officer."
Body camera released from shooting
Attorneys called for the release of body camera video, which surfaced in April.
The video shows Cpl. Matthew L. Sletten try to pull over a white sedan in a shopping center parking lot.
At one point in the video, the headlights of the stolen car shine toward the officer just before he fires his gun.
After the shots were fired, the video shows the car stopped and crashed when a passenger gets out. Video shows the officer ordering the teen to stay on the ground. The image of that teen is blurred in the video and the conversation is muted because of the person's age.
"North Carolina is a poster child for lack of transparency," said civil rights attorney Harry Daniels.
Crenshaw's family says while the lawsuit won't bring him back, it could make a difference for others down the line.
"We want to make sure that this don't happen to anyone else," Daniels said.
The family's attorneys say the State Bureau of Investigation is investigating this case.
'I won't get another hug'
Last year, Doriety told WRAL News she didn't understand why officers had to use deadly force. She also said her son was unarmed.
"Why couldn't you shoot out the tires? Why couldn't you throw down some strips?" she asked, tearfully. "Anything besides shooting him dead. And that's what you did. You shot him dead. I mean, them just facts."
Emotionally, she added, "I mean, even if my son was in a hospital bed, at least I could see him. I could hold him. I could kiss him. I could tell him, 'I love you, son.'"
Doriety said she was told by another teen in the car that Crenshaw was struck in the neck by the bullet.
She said her son was going to hang out with friends – and asked her if his shoes looked okay with his pants.
She told him to be careful, and he said, "Ma, I'll see you later. I love you," she recalls.
Emotional, she said, "Now, I won't get another hug. I won't get another 'I love you.'"
Doriety describes Crenshaw as bubbly and happy-go-lucky. She says he loved his family, and he'd do anything for loved ones. She says he had many different plans for his life, and that he wanted to make future plans with his brothers.
“He said he loved me and was going to buy me a house," she laughed.
