Ashe County Sheriff issues statement after emotional 9 months due to suspect’s death

Ashe County, North Carolina Sheriff Phil Howell says his department has received abusive threats from across the country after a grand jury declined to bring charges against deputies who had a suspect die while being taken into custody in September.

An autopsy report ruled the death of 48-year-old Stuart Chad Mast a homicide during an altercation with officers but also determined 13 contributing factors were evalutated including methamphetamine and pre-existing heart disease. Mast was under investigation for dealing meth and was pulled over by deputies in relation to that case. On body cam footage, one deputy can be heard saying, ‘I’m gonna choke you out,’ as he tried to cuff the suspect.

Howell’s statement was the first department response to the incident after the jury’s decision due to legalities. “As Sheriff, I understand that our silence over the past months may have been misinterpreted as indifference to the Mast family. That could not be further from the truth,” Howell said in the social media posting with a 2-page statement.

Mast’s niece Tammy Keffer posted a video to social media after her uncle’s autopsy results were released earlier this year. (CAUTION: Adult language)

(IMAGE: ACSO NC / Official Facebook)