NEW HANOVER COUNTY — A New Hanover County Sheriff’s detective was indicted Monday for assault while on duty and is expected to turn himself into the county jail.
The grand jury indictment against former detective James Richard Hill, issued March 23, lists the charge as assault inflicting serious injury. NHCSO confirmed Hill resigned from his position weeks ago on Feb. 20.
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The indictment states the defendant did “unlawfully and willingly” assault Sneads Ferry resident Jim Novak “by striking his face with his knee several times and by punching him in the face and head with his fists, thereby inflicting serious injury.”
If convicted, the maximum penalty for the assault, an A1 misdemeanor, is 150 days in jail and fines issued at the discretion of the court.
Novak claims he sustained the injuries last April, which still affect his daily life today.
“My eyes stay shut,” Novak told Port City Daily in an interview. “There were 52 small fractures, hairline fractures, on my face.”
Novak was in a coma for two days and in the hospital for roughly four before being booked in the county jail for over nine charges, including drug trafficking and resisting a public officer.
He claims law enforcement used excessive force without cause during his arrest.
Novak filed a lawsuit against Hill and Sheriff Ed McMahon in his capacity as supervisor, on Oct. 21, 2025 for “conduct that was clearly not within the standards imposed by any law or operational instruction.” Novak is suing the sheriff’s office for $200,000 in compensatory damage fees and $600,000 in punitive damage fees.
The grand jury’s indictment of Hill follows a State Bureau of Investigation probe that began April 2025, the same month as the inciting incident. According to an SBI spokesperson, the sheriff’s and district attorney’s office requested the investigation. Port City Daily reached out to the sheriff’s office to ask what prompted an investigation into the incident and was told the sheriff’s office does not investigate “one of their own.”
It’s also unclear how long Hill has to turn himself in, as the DA’s spokesperson Samantha Dooies was unable to give details due to the pending case. Port City Daily inquired about other cases Hill has been assigned to but the courts do not keep record of this data.
The incident
Novak told Port City Daily he was on his way home from a friend’s house on April 13, 2025 at about 10:35 p.m. when he was pulled over by NHCSO detectives James Hill and Daniel Atkins, both of the vice and narcotics unit. Novak’s license was revoked at the time, and the truck, including the license plate number, was listed under his name.
Novak did have pending drug charges dating back to 2023 in Onslow County, for possession, driving with a revoked license, and identity theft. Novak admitted past wrongdoings; his record includes drug possession and theft, and he has a single drug trafficking charge from 2018, though the case was dropped by the DA.
However, he said he wasn’t trafficking drugs that evening. He added he did not resist arrest, as later claimed by the deputies, according to the police report.
When officers approached the driver side window, Novak said he was ordered to hold his hands outside the vehicle to be handcuffed. While attempting to free himself of his seatbelt, to comply with the officers’ direction, Novak said Hill began beating him.
“One of the officers reaches over top of the door, punches me 13 times in the face,” he recalled.
Novak said he was dragged from his truck, where he detailed being punched and kicked by law enforcement.
The lawsuit adds: “Sheriff’s Deputy Hill continued to strike Plaintiff and dragged him to the rear of Plaintiff’s vehicle. Shortly afterward, they dragged Plaintiff to the front of the vehicle before arresting him. … There were several other Deputies at the scene, none of whom tried to interfere with Deputy Hill to attempt to get him to stop…”
Detective Atkins was present during the inciting incident, according to police reports. Novak has filed another lawsuit specifically naming Atkins, accusing him of excessive use of force and asking for $100,000 in compensatory damage fees and $300,000 in punitive damage fees.
Atkins is still employed with the sheriff’s office and is in “great standing,” according to spokesperson Lt. Jerry Brewer.
“When I became unresponsive, when they got me to the hospital, they said they seen me eating copious amounts of fentanyl,” Novak said. “They said they pulled six grams of fentanyl out of my mouth.”
According to the United States Drug Enforcement Agency, 2 milligrams of fentanyl can be lethal, depending on a person’s body size.
The police report against Novak indicates he attempted to obstruct the officers “by swallowing heroin/fentanyl. At the time, the officer was discharging and attempting to discharge an official duty by conducting a traffic stop.”
However, Novak explained blood and urine tests from the hospital showed no traces of fentanyl or opiates in his system. Medical records from Novant Regional Medical Center confirm he did not have methadone nor opiates in his urinalysis, although he tested positive for THC and methamphetamines.
A NHCSO spokesperson told Port City Daily during the traffic stop, no drugs were apprehended. But two days after the incident, upon receiving a search warrant, drugs were obtained from Novak’s truck.
Novak was charged with drug trafficking, drug possession, and resisting a public officer. Records from April 13 also indicate pending charges as a habitual felon and for carrying a firearm as a felon.
Before Novak could be booked in county jail, he was brought to the intensive care unit by law enforcement. Novant staff placed him in a medically induced coma for two days, he said.
The lawsuit lists Novak’s injuries included a face broken at his nose, right eye socket, and right cheek, which led to swelling.
His wife, Angie, said she only heard about her husband’s whereabouts around 5 a.m. upon the hospital calling. Expecting her husband home by 11 p.m., she was worried.
However, when she arrived at the hospital, Angie claimed staff said they did not have anyone by Novak’s name in the system. She explained her husband was treated as a “John Doe” patient. When staff finally located Novak, Angie was met with hospital security, who allegedly said she was not allowed to see her husband because he was in police custody.
“‘I want to know what’s going on,’” Angie recalled telling security, who responded they were not at liberty to discuss his condition.
She was able to see his injuries after logging into his MyChart.
“The one picture of him was terrifying,” she said. “I just broke down crying because he wasn’t even recognizable.”
The picture showed him on a ventilator with a bruised and swollen face.
Law enforcement eventually took Novak to the county jail — after about three or four days, Angie estimated — where he stayed until she posted his bail three months later, in July. She recalled paying about $185,000.
Almost a year later, Novak said he feels the impact of the incident — and not only physically.
“Everytime I see a cop behind me while me and my wife are driving down the road, I’m like: ‘Man, don’t even stop me,’” Novak said. “These people killed me.”
Hill’s first court appearance is scheduled for April 13 at 10 a.m. in the NHC courthouse.
Novak’s charges are still pending and his next court day is May 11 at 10 a.m.
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