Report- How Raleigh police officer handled searches compromised cases

A
court motion filed Tuesday includes the findings of an internal investigation
into former Raleigh police officer Kyle Epps.

The
report alleges Epps illegally searched people and cars.

The
heavily redacted document that was provided by court order last week provides
examples from throughout 2024, based on interviews with defendants and
Epps himself. 

In November 2024, Epps approached a parked vehicle with people
inside and explained where parking payment could be made. According to the report, he then asked the driver if there were any guns in the car. While the driver
didn’t have a gun, a passenger volunteered information that they were carrying a concealed weapon for which they had a permit.

The document says Epps then asked all occupants of the vehicle to exit, searched
the vehicle for guns and frisked the people who had been inside.

“There
was no legal basis for detaining the occupants of the vehicle,” the report says.

Epps, in an interview, could not provide a legal reason for his actions. 

Defense attorney Charlie Gray pointed to the RPD internal investigation into Epps as a reason why his client should have DWI and child abuse charges dropped. Epps was the arresting officer.

“Mr. Epps is not reliable witness, and his testimony should be given no weight considering his patten of dishonest conduct,” Gray said.

Gray claims that Epps lacked reasonable suspicion to initiate a traffic stop and lacked
probable cause to arrest his client.

The Wake County district attorney has already dismissed dozens of cases involving Epps.

Epps was fired from the department April 5, 2025, after joining in October 2017.

Source – Indonesia News