FBI investigating officer-involved shooting death on Cherokee tribal lands

The FBI is investigating an officer-involved shooting fatality on tribal lands in Cherokee, spokesperson Shelley Lynch confirmed.

Typically, when there is an officer-involved shooting, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation is called in to investigate. However, the FBI is the only outside law enforcement agency that has jurisdiction to investigate matters on tribal lands.

Limited information has been released about the shooting. The victim and the officer have not been named.

In December 2022, Jason Kloepfer, now 45, was coming to the door of his Murphy home with his hands up when he was non-fatally shot by officers who were working alongside the Eastern Band of Cherokee's tribal police SWAT team, according to previous Citizen Times reporting.

The N.C. SBI launched an 11-month probe into the shooting, which finished in November and was then reviewed by the special prosecutor. No criminal charges were brought against the three officers involved.

This story will be updated.

Ryley Ober is the Public Safety Reporter for Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Email her at rober@gannett.com and follow her on Twitter @ryleyober

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