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A multi-vehicle weekend crash that killed a Mount Olive pastor and injured several others involved an off-duty Durham police officer, the city’s police department confirmed Tuesday.
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Joseph King, 52, an off-duty corporal with the Durham Police Department, was driving his Honda Civic around 9:45 p.m. when he allegedly ran a red light and struck a church van the Rev. Justin Shane Heath was driving. According to the Harnett County Sheriff’s Office, the crash occurred at the intersection of N.C. Highway 210 and Old State Road.
King has since been charged with misdemeanor death by motor vehicle. Heath, an apostle, was visiting the area to attend a revival at Freedom Life Church in Angier, about 44 miles from Durham. In a report by WRAL, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol reported that king and six other people involved in the collision were taken to local hospitals for their injuries.
In response to the tragedy, the Durham Police Department announced it will conduct its own internal review alongside the ongoing investigation led by the state Highway Patrol. King, who has been employed with the department since 2010 and is currently assigned to the Uniform Patrol Bureau, is facing intense scrutiny.
Durham Police Chief Stephanie Mardis expressed her condolences to the family and friends of Heath in a statement Tuesday afternoon.
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“Our personnel — whether on duty or off duty — are held to the highest standards of conduct,” her statement read. “Any actions that violate the law or breach the public’s trust will be addressed promptly, transparently, and in accordance with departmental policies and applicable law. Our community’s trust is essential, and we will continue to uphold the values of accountability, integrity, and service in all that we do.”
Heath has received an outpouring of love on social media since his death.
According to his online obituary, Heath was on his way home when the collision happened.
He was a former Wayne County Sheriff’s deputy from 1984 to 1996 and was later a campus police officer for Caswell Center in Kinston. He was the father of two daughters and had six grandchildren.
“He and his wife, together, founded Fore Christ Church of Mount Olive, where he led the operations of the church and assisted with Mount Olive Christian Academy, also operated at the church,” his obituary read.
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A funeral service for Heath is scheduled for Oct. 24 in Mount Olive.