PENDER COUNTY, N.C. (WECT) – The District Attorney’s office has confirmed that Eva Scott, a now-former deputy in Pender County, was indicted Monday on three counts of simple assault and one count of willful failure to discharge duties.

The State Bureau of Investigation says that it got a request to investigate allegations of excessive force involving Scott on April 26 and that she was indicted by a grand jury on Aug. 26. That indictment was served on Wednesday.

According to the indictment obtained by WECT, Scott allegedly entered a closed jail cell and used her taser on an inmate three times while they were in the custody of the Pender County Sheriff’s Office.

A PCSO representative said that Scott resigned from the department on Tuesday, Aug. 27.

“A routine review of a use of force report by a Sheriff’s Office supervisor revealed a concerning incident that occurred at the Pender County Jail. As a result, an internal investigation was conducted during which questions arose about the nature of the conduct reported,” Pender County Sheriff Alan Cutler said on Wednesday. “At the conclusion of the internal affairs investigation in order to maintain the integrity of the Sheriff’s Office, the District Attorney’s Office was consulted about the matter.

“The District Attorney’s Office referred the matter to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation for further investigation. The Pender County Sheriff’s Office cooperated fully with the State Bureau of Investigation during its investigation. The SBI investigation ultimately resulted in an indictment of a Sheriff’s Office employee. The affected individual is no longer employed by the Pender County Sheriff’s Office.”

Scott was hired as a deputy in November 2016 and was later promoted to sergeant in December 2019. She was put on leave on March 31, 2024, and was demoted to deputy in April. 14, 2024.

This story is developing, and more details will be added as they become available.

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