Former Buncombe County sheriff deputy banned from law enforcement dies in Old Fort home
ASHEVILLE — A former Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office deputy recently permanently barred from North Carolina law enforcement died in his Old Fort home on March 22.
Chad Drew Walker, 40, of McDowell County, suffered an undisclosed injury at 10:12 a.m. March 22 and died in his home about 15 minutes later, according to his death certificate obtained by the Citizen Times.
McDowell County Sheriff spokesperson D’Jan Vallini confirmed Walker’s death is currently under investigation.
“We’re awaiting the autopsy results,” Vallini told the Citizen Times March 26. “We don’t suspect any foul play, but that’s all the information that we’re able to share since it is an ongoing investigation.”
More: Former Buncombe County sheriff deputy pleads guilty to solicitation of prostitution
Walker’s father, Nathan Walker, told the Citizen Times that his daughter, Chad’s sister, lived below him and realized Chad had not gone to work that day.
“She decided she’d go over and check on him,” Walker said. “The paramedics seem to think he had a heart attack.”
An autopsy was performed, but Walker's immediate cause of death is still listed as pending on his death certificate.
Walker was working with a subcontractor delivering FedEx packages, according to his father. He said the family held a program at a funeral home for Walker, where Walker’s employer said he was “a great worker and very dependable.”
“He was liked and loved by everyone who knew him,” Nathan Walker said.
Walker was a deputy at the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office and McDowell County Sheriff’s Office for nearly 15 years, until he was arrested and charged with soliciting a prostitute on June 22, 2023. He was fired from both agencies the day he was arrested.
More: New court date for ex-cop charged with hiring prostitute; human trafficking investigation
More: Asheville police quiet on human trafficking ring investigation that snared deputy
After pleading guilty to the solicitation charge Feb. 9, the former deputy was placed on supervised probation for 12 months and required to permanently surrender his law enforcement certification as part of his conditional discharge agreement with prosecutors. Walker was also “permanently banned” in the future from obtaining law enforcement certification in North Carolina, his surrender agreement said.
Vallini said the investigation into Waker's death “will be able to be closed” when the sheriff’s office receives the autopsy results, which will determine Walker’s cause of death.
Ryley Ober is the Public Safety Reporter for Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Email her at rober@gannett.com and follow her on Twitter @ryleyober
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Former Buncombe County Sheriff Deputy dies in Old Fort home
