The North Carolina sheriff’s deputy who allegedly led an armed mob of dozens to the home of a Black teenager and his mother in a misguided search for a missing girl in May 2020 has been found not guilty on all charges arising from the incident. Former New Hanover County Deputy Jordan Kita was acquitted of forcible trespass, breaking and entering, and willful failure to discharge duties late Thursday. He lost his job with the sheriff’s office over the incident. Austin Wood, a civilian, was cleared of charges of going armed to the terror of the community. Kita, who was armed and still in his deputy’s uniform though he was off duty during the confrontation, and Wood, who are both white, allegedly attempted to force their way into Monica and Dameon Shepard’s home, and the mother and son said they were “terrified” of what might happen. The missing girl, later revealed to be Kita’s sister, was elsewhere, and Dameon Shepard said he notified Kita and Wood that he was not the person they were looking for. Kita apologized in court, “I’m sorry for everything that happened that night. It wasn’t my intention; I was just trying to find my little sister.” In January, the Shepards filed a civil suit against the former deputy and Wood. The attorneys said in a statement that the verdict shows “white privilege remains alive and well.” They wrote, “While we are disappointed in the outcome of the criminal trial, we will continue to fight for justice for the Shepards in our civil suit.”