Lawsuit filed against Alamance sheriff, 10 deputies over Burlington man's 2023 shooting

The family of Warren Kent Davis has filed suit in federal court, accusing Alamance County sheriff Terry Johnson and 10 unnamed deputies of violating Davis’ rights when he was shot and killed in May 2023. The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina on January 18, 2026, seeks unspecified damages and alleges a pattern of conduct by the sheriff’s office that contributed to the fatal encounter.

Davis, 43 at the time of his death, died from multiple gunshot wounds at the home of his ex-girlfriend at 2411 Carolina Road in Burlington. His death certificate, filed in the Alamance County Register of Deeds, lists his home on Shamrock Drive and records the time of death as 11:32 a.m. on May 8, 2023. The sheriff’s office says deputies went to the residence after a 911 call reporting that Davis was outside in violation of a protective order.

In the suit, Davis’ mother and administrator of his estate, Kathy Fujiwara, says deputies first fired a “flash-bang” round and then opened fire with “multiple rounds from an assortment of weapons, including AR style assault rifles and semi-automatic handguns.” The complaint alleges Sheriff Johnson, who was present, knew Davis by name and that deputies knew he was not armed. Fujiwara contends body-worn camera footage does not show her son armed or lunging at deputies prior to the shooting.

The lawsuit quotes a passage alleging that “Johnson had approximately 10 deputies arrive at the scene sometime contemporaneous to his arrival,” and that “Johnson never pulled his service weapon while having the conversation with [Davis].” It further alleges that “Several, if not all of the deputies, opened fire on [Davis] while he was lying prone on his stomach,” and that Davis was struck repeatedly, including a lethal shot to the head while he lay under a truck.

Those assertions stand in contrast to a sheriff’s office press release that said a deputy gave Davis a cigarette, and that Davis “lunged at the officer” and was initially hit in the arm by a non-lethal round, then “he again lunged at deputies with the knife and was fatally shot,” according to the suit’s description of the release. The complaint also alleges the State Bureau of Investigation did not conduct an independent probe, which Fujiwara says departs from standard procedure for officer-involved shootings.

Locally, the case centers on familiar concerns: body-camera transparency, the treatment of people with substance abuse and mental health needs, and how protective orders are enforced. Burlington residents and county officials face potential scrutiny of training, tactics, and any department policies that govern the use of force. Fujiwara is represented by attorney James E. Hairston Jr. of Raleigh’s Hairston Lane law firm. No response had been filed on behalf of the sheriff or the deputies by press time.

For Alamance County readers, the lawsuit signals a legal process that could bring new disclosures about what happened that day and whether local policing practices require reform. Expect court filings, possible motions for release of footage, and public debate at county meetings as the case proceeds.