GREENSBORO, N.C. — A fired Greensboro police officer was indicted Monday on a manslaughter charge, according to the Guilford County District Attorney’s Office.
The D.A. said officer, Matthew Edward Hamilton was indicted in the shooting death of Joseph Thomas Lee Lopez by the Guilford County Greensboro Grand Jury.
Police said the shooting occurred in November 2021, on Cloverdale Drive in Greensboro. Police responded to a wanted person call at the house on Cloverdale Drive after the homeowner reported someone was trying to get into their home. Investigators said they found Lopez in a shed behind the home. When confronting Lopez, the Greensboro Police Officer's Association said officer Hamilton shot him. Greensboro police said the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) began its independent criminal investigation of the incident and Hamilton was placed on administrative duty at the time.
The case was presented to a grand jury, which indicted officer Hamilton. Officer Hamilton was indicted for the crime of manslaughter. The Greensboro Police Department said Hamilton was fired Monday as a result of the indictment.
Officer Hamilton's attorney, Amiel Rossabi said he's seen the body cam footage from the night of the shooting.
"There was a black object in Mr. Lopez's hand. That was absolutely pointed towards officer Hamilton. In this situation, Officer Hamilton acted totally in accordance with North Carolina law,” Rossabi said.
GPD said an internal investigation with GPD Professional Standards Division will be completed, as the criminal investigation comes to an end.
The Greensboro Police Department released the following:
"The Greensboro Police Department recognizes the dignity and respects the value of all human life. The department will continue to follow all local and state policies to ensure fairness and transparency during all investigations."
However, the termination isn’t enough for the Lopez family who filed a civil lawsuit against officer Hamilton and the Greensboro police department.
“He has stepped up to take on the burden of this lawsuit, the burden of getting to the bottom of what happened to his son," said the Lopez family attorney, Flint Taylor.
Greensboro's city attorney said during a meeting Tuesday night the body cam video of the incident will be released. He said Greensboro police can prepare a compilation of body cam video for public viewing. However, attorneys on both sides of the case must approve. It's unclear when the video could be released.