By Peter Biello
Wilmington, NC – A New Hanover Grand Jury has decided not to indict former New Hanover County Deputy Christopher Long.
After three days, including testimony from Long and Peyton Strickland's father, the grand jury decided there weren't grounds to indict the former New Hanover County deputy.
Long helped issue a warrant for 18-year-old Strickland last December when the teen was shot and killed inside the doorway of his Wilmington home.
Long attorney Thomas Hicks says there are mixed emotions about the news.
This is still at tragedy. The Strickland family has been devastated by the death of their son, and our hearts go out to them for that. We just hope we can move on from that now and put this behind us.
In a released statement, the Strickland family said the failure of the grand jury to indict Long on any charge compounds their tragedy.
Long's attorneys refused to comment on the possibility of a civil suit.