Carolina Personal Injury News

NC Murderer Suffered Behavior-Altering Brain Injury As Child?

Posted on Oct 29, 2010

We all know that traumatic brain injuries can change your life forever – but could a childhood fall accident turn you into a murderer?

Currently, a North Carolina man is on trail for murder, and a medical expert for the defense has argued that the man’s behavior was not his fault, but the result of a serious brain injury the man suffered as a child.

According to the Asheville Citizen-Times, 37-year-old Edwardo Wong II was stopped by North Carolina Highway Patrol Trooper David Shaw Blanton Junior on I-40 outside of Canton in June 2008. Wong shot the 24-year-old state police officer for unknown reasons before fleeing the scene on foot with the officer’s gun. He was caught and arrested a short time later. Wong, who has a long history of convictions for violent crimes such as armed robbery, is now facing first-degree murder charges and the death penalty.

During the trial, neuropsychologist Shawn Acheson testified that Wong’s actions were related to a five-story fall from an apartment building that Wong suffered as a toddler. Acheson said that a traumatic brain injury left Wong with poor impulse control, difficulty understanding circumstances, and poor foresight. The medical expert also said that Wong reported feeling afraid directly before the shooting took place, an emotion that might point to emotional and behavioral issues often present in those who have survived head injuries.

Prosecutors answered by pointing out that an MRI showed no lasting brain damage, but Acheson explained that many traumatic brain injuries can take place without doing visible physical damage to the head or brain.

About the Editors: Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton is a law firm whose attorneys focus on injury and accident law and have experience handling traumatic brain injury and closed head injuries. In fact, our firm in 2000 helped a brain-damaged client receive what was then the largest verdict for a brain injury case in Virginia history. Then in the year 2012 our firm helped a brain injury client receive a $21 million dollar verdict.

Rick Shapiro and James Lewis have been listed among the Best Lawyers in America since 2008 and and we have been named a North Carolina "Best Law Firm" for personal injury law since 2010 by U.S. News & World Report. In addition, Rick and Jim have been listed in the National Million Dollar Advocates Forum since 2009 and our firm has the highest rating of AV from national lawyer ranking organization Martindale-Hubbell. That means we have a reputation for demonstrating preeminent legal skill.
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