MANTEO, N.C. — A medical autopsy obtained by 13News Now from the North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner reveals medical examiners believe a stab wound to be the cause of death for Sylvester Demetrius Selby, a 44-year-old man who was shot by a Dare County Sheriff's deputy in October of 2023.
The report comes almost nine months to the day after the initial law enforcement response.
On October 2, authorities received reports of alleged trespassing on Burnside Road in the Town of Manteo. There, deputies discovered Demetrius Selby outside a property holding a knife. Deputies eventually fired several rounds at Selby after he allegedly came at them with the knife he was holding.
Below are the findings of each of the OCME's documents:
Document 1: Report of Autopsy Examination
The 12-page report, dated as completed on October 10, 2023, was conducted at the Department of Clinical and Forensic Pathology at Eastern Carolina University Brody School of Medicine.
The first words listed under "Cause of Death" are "stab wound of the anterior left chest."
Two gunshot wounds to the torso are listed under "other significant conditions."
There are at least five wounds listed under "diagnoses" in the report, including:
- Stab wound of the anterior left chest
- Penetrating gunshot wound of the left chest
- Perforating gunshot wound of the torso
- Perforating gunshot wound of the right chest and arm
- Additional Traumatic Injuries
- Two graze gunshot wounds
- Abrasions of the bridge of the nose and the right lower extremity
The stab wound, which was previously referenced in a civil lawsuit filed against the responding Dare County Sheriff's deputy and Sheriff Doug Doughtie, is described as piercing through Selby's "left lung hilum" and "left main pulmonary artery." Pulmonary arteries help transport blood between the heart and lungs.
The report goes on to say the "left chest cavity contains 50 milliliters of blood" and described the left lung as being "collapsed."
In its "Summary and Interpretation", authorities found "two knives and 3 shell casings" at the scene.
It also says:
"...he forced his way into a trailer and the homeowner told him to leave. Selby refused to leave and the homeowner and [sic] stabbed Selby."
The summary section concludes with the medical examiner's written note:
"Given the investigative, autopsy and toxicological findings, it is my opinion that Mr. Sylvester Selby's cause of death was due to a stab wound of the anterior left chest."
Document 2: Report of Investigation by Medical Examiner
The 4-page document was produced by the OCME under the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. It is dated July 2, 2024.
Here, Selby's stab wound is billed as the top "cause of death", with the aforementioned gunshot wounds again listed as contributing conditions.
Additionally, the "Manner of Death" is circled as "homicide" surrounded by non-circled classifications that include: natural, accident, suicide, undetermined.
The "Means of Death" section of the document lists both a .40 caliber handgun as well as a pocketknife.
Under the Medical Examiner "Preliminary Summary of Circumstances Surrounding Death," are facts surrounding the night of October 2. It describes how Selby, "allegedly forced his way into the trailer and the homeowner ordered him to leave."
It goes on to say, "At some point, a knife was pulled and Mr. Selby was stabbed."
Both documents describe how two knives were found on the scene, in addition to three shell casings.
Civil lawsuit by Selby family refutes law enforcement narrative
The lawsuit, filed in December of 2023, claims that Sylvester Demetrius Selby's constitutional rights were violated and that Selby's death was wrongful.
The lawsuit claims the incident began when someone called 911 requesting medical assistance for Selby for a stab wound at his family's home.
When two deputies got there, they ordered Selby at gunpoint to exit the residence, despite "suffering from a stab wound to the heart," according to the lawsuit, which says he complied.
The lawsuit said one of the deputies pointed his flashlight at Selby once he was outside and saw that he was "holding a kitchen knife in one hand and an apple in the other hand" in a non-threatening manner. That same deputy saw blood dripping from Selby's chest, according to the lawsuit.
Following a verbal command from law enforcement, the lawsuit claims Selby raised both hands above his head and slowly walked down the front steps.
While walking down the steps, the lawsuit says Selby stumbled on the last step before reaching the ground and tripped over a bicycle, causing him to stumble.
That's when the lawsuit claims one of the deputies fired his weapon from "approximately 25 feet" away.