An 18-year-old North Carolina man was fatally shot by a Davidson County Sheriff’s deputy in 2020, family has filed a lawsuit against the sheriff’s office and the deputy who shot him. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump stated at a recent news conference that a lawsuit has been filed on behalf of Fred Cox’s family 8 months after the teen was shot four times by Davidson County Sheriff’s Deputy Michael Hill.

“Make no mistake, there should have been no force,” lawyer Antonio Romanucci, who is also representing the family. “This course was not justified in any way, shape or form.”

A medical examiner ruled Cox’s death a homicide. However, his family announced they would be filing a lawsuit after they were informed in June that Hill would not face any charges in Cox’s death.

Guilford County District Attorney Avery Crump told the family in June that grand jury opted not to bring charges against the deputy.

The Davidson County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement about the grand jury, “After a systematic and thorough investigation by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations, the Frederick Cox case was presented to the Guilford County District Attorney’s Office. As this seven months long investigation unfolded, and has now come to a conclusion, we have learned that no probable cause was found to charge our Deputy in the death of Mr. Cox.”

On Nov. 8, 2020, Cox was attended a funeral at Living Water Baptist Church, in High Point, North Carolina when people were leaving the funeral when individuals pulled up in cars and started shooting at the crowd. Family attorney Allen Rogers stated in March that Cox was in his car when the shooting began he got out to help bring people to safety, holding the door of the church open for a mother and her 12-year-old son.

BuzzFeed News reported the family’s legal filing, Cox had gone from his car on another side of the building from the shooters back to the church and was holding the door for the mother and son when Hill began firing.

Crump said Cox was acting as a hero prior to his death, saying he was shielding a 12-year-old-boy when he was shot by Hill, who was in plainclothes.

“He’s going into a church trying to get people out of harm’s way,” said Crump. “But the police shoot and kill him.” He added, “Fred is dead for being a hero while Black.”

In a report released days after the shooting, State Bureau Investigators says Hill had been asked to attend the funeral, which was being held for a man who had been killed. The victim’s family asked Hill to attend in hopes that Hill would be able to identify witnesses of the shooting, according to the report.

Hill saw Cox with a handgun next to him, the report says, and High Point police said Cox was gang-affiliated. Cox was the only person who died during the violence that day. The family says he was unarmed.

The lawsuit claims six counts, including excessive force, wrongful death, battery, negligence, and the violation of Cox’s Fourth and 14th Amendments.

According to the lawsuit, Hill used “unreasonable and deadly force” on Cox while he was “saving the lives of a mother and her young son.”

Tenicka Shannon, Cox’s mother spoke at the news conference on the day the suit was announced.

“My mama, who also lost her son, she always said, ‘Baby, we’re gonna get through this,” said Shannon. “I always said, ‘Mama, you’re stronger than me.’”

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