A former Scotland Neck police officer involved in a stun gun case in which a man died was served a warrant last week for involuntary manslaughter.

John P. Turner was served the warrant on July 6, shortly after the Halifax County Grand Jury returned a true bill of indictment in the case.

There is no supporting documentation in the case file, only that Turner allegedly unlawfully, willfully and feloniously killed and slayed Roger Anthony.

Turner is scheduled for a first court appearance on August 6.

Turner was a new officer with the police department when the incident happened in November of last year. He had two years prior law enforcement experience.

Turner was in training with Scotland Neck and was still riding with the department's captain.

Both officers were at the police station dealing with a juvenile matter when a call in through dispatch that a man later identified as the 61-year-old Anthony had fallen off his bike in front of the BB&T on Main Street and was possibly drunk.

Scotland Neck Police Chief Joe Williams said at the time the captain stayed to deal with the juvenile matter and sent Turner to the call.

Turner arrived and tried to approach the man who pedaled off. Turner continued calling for him to stop. As Turner continued to try and stop the man, Williams said the officer observed him reach into his right pocket and put something in his mouth.

WRAL reported at that time Turner got out of the car and yelled for Anthony to stop. When Anthony didn't stop, the officer used a stun gun on him, causing him to fall off of his bike.

Williams said neither he nor the officer had any idea what the man put in his mouth. Anthony has no prior convictions with the state Department of Correction.

Williams said Turner used the Taser on Anthony as he was pedaling his bicycle.

WRAL reported Anthony was transported to Pitt County Memorial Hospital, where he was declared brain dead, his sister Gladys Freeman said. He was taken off of life support on November 22.

Freeman said her brother was disabled, suffered from seizures and had trouble hearing.

Anthony lived alone in an independent living community.