Traveon Sessoms Bullock, a 17-year-old African American male, tragically lost his life on March 21, 2017, in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. On that fateful night, just before 10 p.m., Rocky Mount police responded to a shooting call in the 700 block of Powell Drive. Upon arrival, they found Bullock in a yard, suffering from wounds inflicted during an assault.
Despite being transported to the hospital for treatment, Bullock succumbed to his injuries while being moved to a second hospital.
The investigation into Bullock's death led to the arrest of two individuals. Leo Isham Kearney, a 26-year-old former Rocky Mount police officer, and Dexter Jamal Williams, a 19-year-old male, were apprehended following a traffic stop. Kearney, whose employment with the Rocky Mount Police Department ended in September 2015, was initially charged with felony assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury with intent to kill. However, following Bullock's death, Kearney's charge was upgraded to first-degree murder. Williams was charged with accessory after the fact.
The case garnered significant attention due to Kearney's former position as a police officer and the circumstances surrounding the incident. The legal proceedings and investigations that followed aimed to bring justice for Bullock and his family. The community of Rocky Mount was left grappling with the loss of a young life and the implications of the involvement of a former law enforcement officer in such a tragic event.
