Two undercover police officers fatally shot a Black man in Gastonia, North Carolina, when he pulled out a fake handgun. The 43-year-old Derrick Terrell Manigault got into an altercation with an older man, David Sanders, outside the Jakob’s Food Mart. They went inside and continued their argument. Meanwhile, the detective, identified as “C.H.,” was standing at the counter.
Manigault threatened Sanders, “You trying to lose your life tonight?” He repeated this three times, and the detective noticed him pull a black handgun out of his waistband. Looking at the situation, the detective took out his gun while Manigault was exiting the store holding his fake gun. According to Atlanta Black Star, the detective fired shots at him while allegedly telling him to “Drop it, get on the ground!”
The "Hunted" Narrative: Derrick Manigault’s wife is calling for a federal investigation after the DA cleared the officers who "emptied their clips" on her husband for having a prop gun at a food mart. https://t.co/xjv3WFC3d2 pic.twitter.com/z5iC3yvbUt
— Atlanta Black Star (@ATLBlackStar) May 13, 2026
The detective later told the investigators, “believed that Manigault posed an immediate threat of death or serious bodily harm to those inside the store.” He assumed Manigault was going to kill Sanders. Another officer in plain clothes, identified as Sergeant “C.E.,” told the investigators he saw Manigault running while holding his handgun.
After witnessing the surveillance footage, the district attorney announced not to prosecute the two cops who shot the man. This has ignited anger in Manigault’s family as well as several community members.
Detective C.H. fired six rounds, and Sgt. C.E. fired four at Manigault. He had four gunshot wounds on his body. The fatal shot to his lung caused his bones to break and cut the coronary artery. This led to extreme bleeding and his death. He was taken to the hospital but pronounced dead.
The black gun he carried was a realistic replica, which had four gold plastic ammunition rounds. The police could not determine it was a fake gun because it did not have an orange cap on the barrel.
Manigault’s wife, Rebecca Insley, has condemned the District Attorney’s decision not to prosecute the police officers. She hopes that she will get justice for her husband as she plans to pursue the case further. She told the Gaston Gazette, “My husband wasn’t a bad guy. I would just implore everyone to wait until all of the facts come out and not rush to judgment.”
The object was later confirmed as a fake firearm, Manigault died from his injuries, and the Gaston County DA filed no criminal charges against the officers, citing protection of themselves and others in the store.
— no capitals (@no_capitals) May 12, 2026
She believes her husband was not given medical aid on time, “It went from white man in a corner to shooting to kill my husband in a matter of seconds; there was no in between.” Gaston County Community Talk (GCCT) has demanded that the police release the full bodycam video to determine the truth. The community argues that the police may have provided misleading edits.
They are also skeptical about the police officers giving verbal commands before firing. GCCT pointed out, “merely visible during an argument. … Even if the firearm were real … does that justify an on-sight execution when the weapon was never pointed at anyone or used to assault anyone?” The community has called out for accountability and not relying on official police reports.
