District Attorney releases statement after officer assaulted by suspect

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (FOX Carolina) - The Buncombe County District Attorney released a statement after a wanted man was taken into custody on Saturday, but multiple officers were assaulted in the process.

Devon Lewis Rayshawn Whitmire was wanted for communicating threats. Patrol officers from the Asheville Police Department located him near Livingston Street on Saturday and said he initially gave police an incorrect name.

When officers tried to take Whitmire into custody, they said he stated, “Can y’all just back up, so I can get my gun off of me?” A hostile crowd formed around them while they tried to detain Whitmire. Police said he gave “extreme resistance” and assaulted officers

One officer was hospitalized due to the incident but was released later on Saturday.

Whitmire is charged with three counts of assault on a government official, two counts of assault on a government official inflicting serious injury, three counts of malicious conduct of a prisoner, and resist/delay/obstruct.

He is being held at the Buncombe County Detention Center on a $85,000 bond.

Following the incident, Buncombe County District Attorney Todd Williams released the following statement on the incident.

“I confirm that APD Chief of Police and Command Staff referred the arrest of Devon Whitmire for review by this Office in compliance with Section II, 2 of the Addendum to the Memorandum of Agreement, Uniform Policey and Procedure signed July 30, 2020 and greed to by APD and the DA’s Office.

I further confirm that I reviewed, in consultation with two senior prosecutors of this Office, APD body worn camera video capturing the event. I have determined that at this time there is no probable cause that an excessive use of force by law enforcement officers occurred that would require a referral of this arrest to the NC SBI for criminal investigation.”

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