Campus Grieves for Fraternity President Shot and Killed by Police
EmailABC News On Campus Reporter Chris Badders blogs:
Today the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill awoke to the tragic news of the death of Courtland Benjamin Smith, 21, a junior biology major and president of the university’s chapter of the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity.
Jennifer Canada, a spokeswoman for the North Carolina Department of Justice, told the Associated Press the student from Houston, Texas was shot and killed Sunday by an Archdale, N.C. police officer during a confrontation on Interstate 85. A news release from Archdale police said police stopped Smith’s car after he had called officers, indicating he was suicidal. After the shooting Smith was brought to High Point Regional Hospital, where he died. The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation is examining the case.
Brothers at the DKE fraternity, who wished to remain anonymous, told ABC News On Campus that the fraternity was in the process of releasing a statement, but for now are still grieving their loss and won’t make any comments.
The news of Smith’s death comes a day before classes were set to begin for the new school year, and has the student community dumbfounded.
“It’s pretty shocking,” said Jennifer Brandt, a junior at UNC. “It reminds me of when Eve Carson and Jason Ray were killed and it’s obviously not a great way to start the year.”
Brandt, a member of the university’s chapter of the Phi Mu sorority, said some sororities she knew were close to the DKE house had cancelled scheduled recruitment events as a sign of respect for Smith.
Kathleen White, a sophomore, mentioned how disruptive such tragic news is to the entire university.
“To have a tragedy like this throws you off a bit,” White said. “It’s just a shock to have to start the year like this.”
Other students interviewed said it’s a humbling experience that puts perspective on their lives. Amy Whitaker and Ciarra Watkins, both sophomores, said that news of Smith’s death made them realize that incidents like this can happen to anyone, and that it makes them appreciate the chances in life they’ve been given.
“You don’t expect something like this at such an exciting time,” Watkins said.
The Chancellor’s office released a campus-wide statement this afternoon expressing sorrow over Smith’s death, saying “There is nothing worse than losing a young person” and announcing that the university was providing grief counselors for those who needed to speak to someone.
Best Commencement Speeches of 2012 
Celebrities with 'Sole' 
RSS
Twitter
Facebook
So…..apparently if one wants to kill themselves, the police will gladly do it for you?….
Posted by: Philo | August 24, 2009, 7:57 pm 7:57 pm
Another innocent member of society killed by a rogue cop………….when will we Americans wake up and see that police depts are the most dangerous institutions to a free society?
Posted by: John von Buren | August 24, 2009, 8:04 pm 8:04 pm
Unfortunately it sounds like a case of suicide by cop, an all too common problem.
Posted by: Jeff | August 24, 2009, 8:50 pm 8:50 pm
John von Buren said “another innocent member of society killed by a rogue cop………….when will we Americans wake up and see that police depts are the most dangerous institutions to a free society?
Seriously, you actually wrote that? Keep that thought in mind when you wake up one night with a burglar in your house. Do you ANY facts to support that position or are you just following in the steps of our president when it comes to announcing that you don’t know the facts and yet you still have an opinion?
Posted by: Jim | August 24, 2009, 9:17 pm 9:17 pm
My condolences to the parents and family of this young man. Im sure he did not realize the amount of people that love him. I also send my best wishes to the officer, who had to take part in this senseless event.
Posted by: North Park | August 24, 2009, 9:34 pm 9:34 pm
There is little information provided as to the tragic death of this young man. Let’s hope an honest investigation is launched that determines if police once again acted with malice. Something is fishy here. The possibility of suicide by cop exists, however, the responding police were already made aware that the person was suicidal according to the report.
Posted by: ronnierayjenkins | August 24, 2009, 10:09 pm 10:09 pm
There isn’t enough detail here to really know how and why this happened. However, from the meager data at hand I tend to believe Jeff may have nailed it: suicide by cop.
This happened here recently: the police got a 911 call from a suicidal person and when they arrived on scene they were charged by that same person, who was shooting at them. When one of the officers was wounded the others opened fire, killing the shooter. The police are left with very little choice in these situations.
John van Buren: If you truly believe what you wrote, and are not just trying to “stir the pot” you have my sympathy; Remember when the 60′s “counter-culture” called the police “Pigs”? One LA columnist responded, “Don’t like the police? When you’re being beaten and robbed call a Hippie!”
Posted by: Walker Evans | August 24, 2009, 10:20 pm 10:20 pm
Threatened suicide has got to be a bad call for a cop. You would never know what you’ll find. A kid who just needs someone to listen to his problems or a guy bent on self destruction who wants to take a few dozen people with him. Probably somewhere in between but the cop never knows.
Allow me to express my condolences to the family and friends but please do judge the cops unless you were there. I know Courtland Smith’s family wanted him to come home safely. The policeman’s family want him to come home safely too.
Taking a human life is not an easy thing to do but if your life is in jeopardy you do what you have to do.
Posted by: Oonogil | August 24, 2009, 10:38 pm 10:38 pm
Another show off cop
I would be willing to bet he wasnt even armed!
Posted by: phillip bias | August 25, 2009, 12:06 am 12:06 am
Silly people…. It is not uncommon for someone to “commit suicide by cop.” They get themselves in a situation where they have a gun, and then point or fire the gun at the officers to force them to fire back. Don’t know if that’s what happened here, but it is possible. Stop ragging on our cops…. 99.999% of them are some of our best citizens.
Posted by: Doc Savage | August 25, 2009, 2:12 am 2:12 am
“POLICE ARRIVE AT SCENE OF CRIME AND SAVE THE DAY” – When’s the last we read this headline? I’m sick of these morons warning us not to critisize the police, lest they fail to show up when we’re being robbed or beaten. As if that ever happened.
Posted by: The Jester | August 25, 2009, 2:18 am 2:18 am
wow, sure are a lot of people jumping to conclusions without knowing any of the essential facts. Pretty easy to blame the cops, but that sounds like Prof. Gates at work. Cops save the day countless times and many die doing it. Guess we could let the thugs rule the world.
Posted by: mad dog | August 25, 2009, 2:36 am 2:36 am
Mad Dog: The thugs do rule the world. Give us an example where the cops saved the day. Just one. 343 brave NYC firefighters died on 9/11 and only 37 cops. Y’know why? Because cops are bullies that run from any real danger.
Posted by: The Jester | August 25, 2009, 3:03 am 3:03 am
Where are the details to this story? How and why did the police wind up shooting the young man? This is NOT a news article!
Posted by: BachisBest | August 25, 2009, 7:34 am 7:34 am
You can bash the cops all you want, but they reflect us directly. We control their actions through the politicians we elect. We control their quality through the salaries we pay. We get EXACTLY what we deserve. When Jeff and John grow up and start thinking instead of quoting mindless slogans they can run for office and fix everything. It’s amazing how children with no responsibility have all the answers. This has been the case since the beginning of time. And many will contend that as control passes to these children society becomes more and more screwed up.
Posted by: Warnin | August 25, 2009, 8:36 am 8:36 am
Katie… life happens way to fast, but still in all somethings in life happens way to often. its another innocent person killed by a cop who thinks what he did was justified…well since the victim is dead and the cop is pennding investigation theres really no closure forthe family.When will Americans wake up and realize some authorities like to abuse their authority because they figure justice and truth wont prevail…no matter what the vicim did that was wrong or rite no one deserves to die. We none brought anyone into this world and we none should take it upon ourselves to take another human beings life. Due to this the family and friends are left greaving over what was then but look a now.
Posted by: Jones1Katie | August 25, 2009, 11:24 pm 11:24 pm
This outcome is happening way to frequently. How many feeble 80 year olds need to be tasered before the public says ENOUGH!I’m tired of seeing cops taser someone at a traffic stop or baseball game. Whatever you do call a cop as a last resort. Who knows what will be in that Pandora’s box if you do. If you find it necessary to call the cops take precautions. Hide your dogs so the cops won’t shoot them.Put granny up so she won’t be tasered or let’s call it what it is,assaulted with a deadly weapon. It has gotten to the point cops are the danger. They have become the enemy. Too many of them are sick with power. I’m sick of it.
Posted by: Karen | August 31, 2009, 11:05 am 11:05 am
All cops are conditioned to be fighting ‘the war on crime’. When cops are told they are fighting a war they become like soldiers. When cops think they are soldiers there is only one enemy: You. Me. Us. Society. We must stand together to survive people, we are now considered ‘the enemy’
Posted by: Sven | May 22, 2010, 4:24 am 4:24 am