On October 27, 2026, a Pamlico County grand jury returned a true bill of indictment charging Investigator S. Hardison with one count of misdemeanor simple assault. This true bill stems from the arrest of Darrell Wayne on March 19, 2025, almost 19 months after the initial incident.
Darrell Wayne was arrested after an investigation by the Pamlico County Sheriff’s Office, where video showed Wayne repeatedly hitting a child in the face. Wayne was charged with one count of assault on a child. Wayne was arrested after being located hiding inside the child’s mother’s residence. A use-of-force incident occurred during the arrest. A complaint concerning that incident was subsequently referred to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and the North Carolina Conference of District Attorneys for review. Wayne was also charged with Assaulting a Government Official during the arrest and was found guilty in Pamlico County District Court. Wayne has appealed this decision.
Sheriff Chris Davis’ statement:
“Arresting those responsible for committing heinous acts against children in our communities is often a challenging task, particularly when they do everything possible to evade apprehension.
Let me be clear: If you spit, attempt to spit, or make any gesture suggesting you intend to spit on us during your arrest, you must understand that we are going to use the reasonable and necessary force permitted by law to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
The Pamlico County Sheriff’s Office will issue no further statements regarding this matter. All questions should be directed to District Attorney Jeff Cruden, North Carolina’s 1st Prosecutorial District.
