Dalton Lee Lewis, a 24-year-old male from Gastonia, NC, passed away on June 3, 2022. Dalton was born on November 4, 1997, in Gaston County to Jerry Lee Lewis and Lynn Spargo. He was known for his love of music, both listening and writing, and was a gifted poet. Dalton cherished his family, especially his fiancée, Brittany Green, and his step-children, Avery, Oliver, and Lillianne.
He was preceded in death by his grandfathers Tommy Hovis and Randy Sellers, his grandmother Glenda Messer, and his great-grandmother Dorothy Stewart.
On the morning of June 3, 2022, Dalton Lewis was shot and killed by bail bondsmen in Gastonia. According to reports, Dalton and his fiancée, Brittany Green, were in a car about to leave for Bojangles when a group of bail bondsmen approached and surrounded the vehicle without identifying themselves. Brittany Green stated that the bondsmen did not announce themselves as law enforcement and demanded that Dalton get out of the car. When Dalton locked the car doors and reached for his keys, the bondsmen allegedly shouted "gun, gun, gun" and began shooting. Brittany Green claimed that Dalton was unarmed and had his hands up when he was shot.
Tim Moore, one of the bail bondsmen present, provided a different account. He stated that Dalton had a gun and pointed it at him, which prompted the bondsmen to open fire. Moore mentioned that Dalton had failed to appear in court, and the bondsmen were there to take him into custody. The police investigation revealed that Dalton was shot eight times, with seven of those shots hitting his chest. A revolver was found in the car, which the bondsmen claimed belonged to Dalton.
The District Attorney's Office conducted an investigation and determined that the bondsmen acted in self-defense. The DA concluded that Dalton had shown a gun to the bondsmen, and one of them shot him in defense of his colleagues. As a result, the shooting was ruled a justified homicide, and no criminal charges were filed against the bondsmen. Dalton's mother, Lynn Spargo, expressed her anger and disappointment with the DA's decision, stating that she felt her life was taken along with her son's. Dalton's aunt, Kimberly White, who was present during the shooting, insisted that Dalton did not have time to pull a gun and that the bondsmen began shooting as soon as they arrived.
