The family of a gravely injured North Carolina patient has filed suit against Onslow County and a former EMT, alleging the EMT photographed the patient at the scene of a medical emergency and shared the images with others inside the county’s EMS department.

The suit was filed April 23, 2026 in Onslow County Superior Court by the Estate of Bobby Shelton Williams and members of his family against Onslow County and former EMT Megan Jenkins.  

According to the complaint, Williams was a well-known Jacksonville businessman, former city council member, youth softball coach, and Navy veteran.   The suit states that on August 25, 2025, Williams attempted suicide at his home after learning he faced serious health challenges. Onslow EMS responded to the residence, and Williams was later transported to a hospital where he died.  

The complaint alleges that EMT Megan Jenkins used her personal cellphone to take photographs of Williams and his injuries while at the scene and before his death.   The lawsuit further alleges that the photographs “had no legitimate medical or governmental purpose” and violated “accepted standards governing EMS personnel and the dignity and privacy of Williams.”  

According to the complaint, Jenkins later “shared and distributed the photographs that she took of Williams with others.”   The suit alleges that county officials learned of the conduct but failed to conduct a meaningful investigation into where the photographs had been sent or stored.  

The plaintiffs allege the county failed to secure Jenkins’ cellphone or the phones of other EMS employees who may have received the images, relying instead on verbal assurances that the photographs had been deleted.   The complaint alleges that as of August 2025, Onslow EMS had no policy governing investigations into unauthorized photographs taken by EMS personnel on personal devices.  

The lawsuit details a series of investigative steps the plaintiffs contend should have been taken, including confiscating or imaging devices, examining cloud storage, obtaining sworn statements, involving law enforcement, and hiring forensic experts to determine where the photographs had been disseminated.  

The complaint alleges Jenkins resigned after the incident and before the county attempted to secure her phone.   It further alleges that the county “made no meaningful effort to preserve evidence in Jenkins’ possession” and “merely accepted Jenkins’ verbal assurances that the photographs had been deleted.”  

The suit also references a letter delivered to members of Williams’ family by EMS officials on October 22, 2025. The letter stated in part:

• After responding to the 911 call, one of our paramedics took a picture of Bobby S. Williams’ image and shared the image with others within the Emergency Services Department.
• While the image was not shared with anyone outside of the Department, as soon as management learned of this policy violation, efforts were made to immediately ensure that this image was deleted from all devices.

The plaintiffs dispute that assertion, alleging the county could not know whether the photographs had been shared outside the department because officials never secured or forensically examined the devices involved.  

The complaint asserts claims for negligence, negligent supervision and retention, gross negligence, negligent infliction of emotional distress, intentional infliction of emotional distress, violation of the North Carolina Constitution, obstruction of justice, and punitive damages against Jenkins.  

Here is a copy of the complaint: