quote: Murder Charge for Officer Who Shot PS3 Suspect An investigation into the police raid gone awry finds the officer at fault. by Daemon Hatfield
December 12, 2006 - Last week IGN reported that a North Carolina teenager suspected of stealing two PlayStation 3's was shot and killed by police when they arrived at his home to arrest him. The victim, Peyton Strickland, was accused of assaulting a University of North Carolina-Wilmington student and stealing his new consoles.
The officer who fired the fatal shots, sheriff deputy Christopher Long, has been charged with second-degree murder and fired from his position.
Because police suspected Strickland might be carrying a gun, Long was part of a special unit sent to arrest the victim. When Strickland did not answer the door, officers used a battering ram to knock it down. Long believed the sound of the battering ram to be gunshots and began firing his weapon.
Strickland's roommates, who witnessed the shooting, said the victim was about to open the door when Long began firing. Bullets struck Strickland, who was unarmed at the time, in the head and shoulder. His dog, a German Shepherd, was also fatally injured.
Long, 34, is a 12-year veteran of the force, former instructor of law enforcement classes, and father of two. His bail has been set at $50,000.
Its really too bad that Strickland stole the PS3's in the first place, but even more so that the whole incident turned out so unfavorably. What a stupid way to have your life ended, and what a stupid way to end a career in the police department.
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Even if someone was shooting a gun inside, you don't just start shooting through the door. Who knows who could be in there and who you could hit (assuming the roommates' testimony is accurate).
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