Don Eberhardt, a former Buncombe County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy, bows his head after being found not guilty of felony gun charges.
Don Eberhardt, the former chief deputy for the Buncombe County Sheriff's Office, was found not guilty of felony charges.
The jury deliberated for 10 minutes after the three-day trial ended before they acquitted Eberhardt on charges of possession of stolen property and a firearm.
Eberhardt turned himself in on July 8, 2020, after the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation found the gun in the back seat of his car. Eberhardt led investigators to the gun.
Coverage of trial.
Eberhardt testified that the former second-in-command of the Sheriff's Office didn't know the gun was in the bag he was purchasing when he left Carolina Guns & Gear.
Eberhardt went back to the shop three times but never returned the gun because he was trying to avoid getting Akeem Bell in trouble for accidentally putting the gun in the tactical bag.
Don Eberhardt, the former Buncombe County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy, was found not guilty of felony gun charges in December of 2021.
Bell testified that Eberhardt was trying to protect him.
The final day of the trial was emotional as Eberhardt's two adult sons and his wife testified, telling jurors the 18 months since Eberhardt was charged have been "horrible."
Don Eberhardt was found not guilty of felony gun charges on December 16, 2021.
It has been very hard on all of us.
After the verdict was announced, the family cried tears of joy and whispered "Thank you" to the jurors as they left the courtroom.
The former Buncombe officer is accused of stealing an assault rifle. The attorney said there was a lot more to the case.
One of the jurors told the Citizen Times that the jury decided on the verdict the first time they voted.
She said there was no evidence of intent to steal or take a weapon. It wasn't proven to me.
The jury's demeanor toward Eberhardt was unique, according to his attorney.
He told the Citizen Times that he had never had jurors hug the defendants. They told him to get back to work as soon as possible.
Don Eberhardt was found not guilty of felony gun charges in December of 2021, but his wife, Colleen, and oldest son, Noah, looked on as his youngest son, Seth, hugged him.
Eberhardt faced up to 25 months in prison if convicted. He will return to law enforcement now that he has been acquitted.
Eberhardt will have a new perspective when he gets his badges back, according to Devereux.
He said that a police officer will know what it's like to be wrongly accused. He was a great officer. That will make him even better.
Harris is a reporter for the Citizen Times. News tips? SHarris@CitizenTimes.com is a good place to send an email.
The jury acquitted the ex-Buncombe County deputy on felony gun charges.
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