Prosecutors will not seek death penalty for trooper charged in deputy's killing

Prosecutors in North Carolina have announced they will not pursue the death penalty against a state trooper charged with killing an off-duty sheriff's deputy, WRAL reported. The trooper, Nekime Oxendine, is accused of fatally shooting Cumberland County Sheriff's Office Captain Adam Bean in March outside a home in the Hope Mills area.

Court records reviewed by ABC11 WTVD show that Oxendine was indicted on a first-degree murder charge in September and is being held without bond. Both men were off-duty at the time of the shooting and had previously dated the same woman, who lived at the residence where the incident occurred.

Investigators said that Bean arrived at the home upset after seeing Oxendine’s vehicle parked there. A witness told authorities that Oxendine came outside armed with a handgun, fired one shot into the ground, and then fired multiple shots that struck Bean after Bean approached him aggressively.

The woman was performing CPR on Bean when deputies arrived at the scene. At the time, she was in a relationship with Oxendine. Oxendine has served 18 years with the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, while Bean had been with the sheriff's office since 2006.

The decision not to seek capital punishment was communicated to the court by prosecutors, according to ABC11 WTVD. The case remains pending as legal proceedings continue.