Channel 12 cameraman charged with obstructing police

A camera operator for WCTI was charged by the Onslow County Sheriff's Department today with warning patrons at Club Mickey's on U.S. 258 that authorities were on the way just prior to Saturday‘s pre-dawn raid.

Eugene O. Shelton, 32, of Sherwood Road, was charged by the Onslow County Sheriff's Department with resisting, obstructing and delaying a police officer, a misdemeanor.

Shelton is accused of "warning (someone at Club Mickey's) that law enforcement officers were in route to serve a search warrant," according to an arrest warrant filed at the Magistrate's Office.

Sheriff Ed Brown had expressed concern during a 3 a.m. briefing at the courthouse that information about the raid may have been leaked. Everyone in attendance - including members of the local news media - was told not to use their cell phones until cleared to do so by Sgt. Bob Ides, who was in charge of the operation.

Shelton was present at the briefing, but did not go to Mickey's with the rest of the news media in attendance.

Investigators believe Shelton made contact with at least one patron at the club, warning that the Sheriff's Department was planning a raid, according to affidavits attached to search warrants for Shelton's cell phone records.

Shelton denied warning anyone.

"It's not true," he told The Daily News after his arrest Thursday. "This is just because I know certain people."

WCTI General Manager Don Fisher said Shelton has been suspended from his duties at the station. He said they are conducting an internal investigation but since the issue is a personnel matter, he couldn't comment further.

The Sheriff's Department served a temporary restraining order on the owners of the property and club - located at 4441 Richlands Highway, just north of the Tar Landing community - as part of a public nuisance abatement case filed by the county.

Several arrests were made for outstanding warrants and two patrons were arrested for resisting a police officer during the pre-dawn raid. Guns, drugs, bladed weapons, a set of brass knuckles, and a bag of bullets were found on the floor of the club, in vehicles in the parking lot and in a trash can set up by deputies to collect illegal items.

Bond was set at $1,000.

Contact crime reporter Lindell Kay at lkay@freedomenc.com or 910-554-8534. Read Lindell's blog at http://onslowcrime.encblogs.com.