Nick Ochsner

2 weeks ago | wbtv.com | David Hodges |Nick Ochsner

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - Charlotte City Councilwoman Tiawana Brown and her daughters have been indicted on federal charges, according to a press release sent by the US Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. The charges were made public Thursday morning, hours after Brown sent an early morning press release saying she expected to face federal charges. Brown was elected to the city council in 2023 and represents District 3, covering most of west Charlotte.

3 weeks ago | wbtv.com | Nick Ochsner

RALEIGH, N.C. (WBTV) - A bill pending in the North Carolina General Assembly would make autopsy reports secret. It’s the third time in five years such a proposal has been taken up by lawmakers. The version of the bill currently pending in the general assembly was authored by Rep. Sarah Stevens (R-Surry). Stevens told Axios Raleigh she put forth the proposal at the request of the N.C. Conference of District Attorneys.

1 month ago | wbtv.com | Nick Ochsner |Cassidy Johncox

WEST JEFFERSON, N.C. (WBTV) – The social media accounts and website for the Ashe County Sheriff’s Office were taken down this week after footage of a deadly traffic stop was made public, officials confirmed Wednesday. Ashe County Sheriff Phil Howell confirmed to WBTV on Wednesday, May 7 that the office’s digital platforms had been made private.

1 month ago | wbtv.com | Nick Ochsner

WEST JEFFERSON, N.C. (WBTV) – Never-before-seen video shows the moments of a traffic stop that led to a man dying. Stuart Chad Mast died September 13, 2024 after being pulled over and arrested by deputies with the Ashe County Sheriff’s Office. An autopsy ruled Mast’s death a homicide; the medical examiner ruled he died by asphyxiation. Outside of the autopsy, details of what led to Mast’s arrest remained sparse.

1 month ago | wbtv.com | Nick Ochsner

JEFFERSON, N.C. (WBTV) — An Ashe County grand jury on Friday declined to bring charges against deputies involved in a deadly arrest of a man in September 2024. Watauga County District Attorney Seth Banks, who was assigned to review the case outside of his prosecutorial district, announced the grand jury’s decision in a press release on Friday, May 2. Deputies with the Ashe County Sheriff’s Office stopped Stuart Chad Mast on Sept. 13, 2024 for an expired tag.