Suspected PS3 thief gets iced. [Mobile/Archive]

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Reality's Fringe

12-03-2006, 07:45 PM

Friday evening, a New Hanover County sheriff's deputy shot and killed 18 y.o. Peyton Strickland in the door of Strickland's home. Strickland was suspected in the Nov.17th armed robbery of a University of North Carolina Wilmington student for his PS3 and some games. There are not a lot of details in the case yet, but what is known is that officers arrived at the door to serve Strickland a search warrant in connection with the robbery case. Strickland answered the door and a loud fight ensued ending with not only the death of the young man, but his German shepherd, Blaze, as well. Strickland's roommate (pictured right), who was home at the time, said the man was unarmed when he answered the door.

http://www.wilmingtonstar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061203/NEWS/612030440/1004/news01

I wonder if that $300 profit was worth it?

CaseyRyback

12-03-2006, 07:51 PM

My sister lives in the same complex as the guy who got jacked. They have one in their apartment and it has lead them to be uber cautious about allowing people to come into the room it is in.

GrimNecroWizard

12-03-2006, 07:58 PM

Quackzilla

12-03-2006, 08:04 PM

I hope the officers get charged with excessive force and manslaughter and get sent to jail.

They could have used a tazer or mace, unless the suspect is on PCP or something than there is no need to fire a gun in a fistfight.

Spades22

12-03-2006, 08:13 PM

Vinny

12-03-2006, 08:39 PM

I feel sorry for him, yet I don't. He threatens to kill others with a gun, and he's killed with a gun. Ya, it was very wrong to kill him, but he shouldn't have done that in the first place. Need more info. before you can say that the cop should go to jail... the roomate isn't a very reliabe "witness."

Well, it'll be hard to consider any of the cops to be reliable since they don't wanna make themselves look bad.

But seriously, why did they shoot him? I thought cops weren't supposed to shoot unless their target had a weapon?

Brian9824

12-03-2006, 08:55 PM

Its impossible to say what happened. If he reached into a jacket pocket for example its understandable why the officers could have fired. They train the police that if you draw your gun you go for a kill, you don't shoot to wound.

It's sad that stuff like this happens but it should be noted that the officers did find weapons in the house, they probably knew that his family had registered guns and he was suspected of robbery with a deadly weapon.

camoor

12-03-2006, 08:58 PM

Well, it'll be hard to consider any of the cops to be reliable since they don't wanna make themselves look bad.

But seriously, why did they shoot him? I thought cops weren't supposed to shoot unless their target had a weapon?

I'm guessing that you've never seen an angry German Shepard.

Stingermck

12-03-2006, 08:58 PM

I posted this earlier this morning, in the PS3 incident thread, after I saw it in the paper. Personally I don't have much pity. Don't steal, Don't get shot. Lesson learned.

Kinda ironic though, that he answered the door with controller in hand :joystick:

Video here http://www.wect.com/

Brian9824

12-03-2006, 09:00 PM

Lol yeah it would be easy to see how the dog could have been shot. My dog has actually attacked one of my friends when he thought he was hurting me, bit down on his arm and held it not hard enough to draw blood but enough to make him notice.

Dog's can be spooked by loud noises and can be VERY protective of their property and owners. We had a labrador that attacked me for hopping over my fence when we locked ourselves out one day. Didn't really hurt me but boy was she acting apologetic for the rest of the day.

I can easily picture the dog lunging at the cops with them forcing their way into the house and with the loud noise of the gunshots.

Spades22

12-03-2006, 09:29 PM

Ya...that article doesn't provide enough info. What happened in the house? Maybe he did have a weapon...

keithp

12-03-2006, 09:36 PM

Man, what's with all the sympathy over a dead thief? Cops USUALLY don't kill unless they have a reason to fear for their lives.

Stingermck

12-03-2006, 09:37 PM

Heres the complete article, that i posted in the other thread:

Deputy kills teen while serving warrant
New Hanover deputies were helping UNCW police make arrest in PlayStation theft case

By Veronica Gonzalez

A New Hanover County sheriff's deputy Friday shot and killed an 18-year-old man suspected in an armed robbery of two PlayStation 3 video systems, authorities said.

A puddle of blood on the hardwood floor of his living room left a harsh reminder Saturday of what took place, and family and friends expressed outrage.

The deputy shot Peyton Strickland about 8:45 p.m. Friday in the Long Leaf Acres house Strickland rented with three other young men, said his roommate, Mike Rhoton, who was home at the time. He said Strickland was unarmed.

UNCW police and sheriff's deputies were at the house on 533 Long Leaf Acres Drive to arrest Strickland and serve him a search warrant, according to the university. Strickland was one of two suspects in the armed robbery of a University of North Carolina Wilmington student that occurred Nov. 17.

Investigators were reviewing the conduct of all officers and deputies involved in the incident, said New Hanover County District Attorney Ben David, who confirmed at least one sheriff's deputy was involved in the shooting.

"I am making this my top priority," David said Saturday. "No one's above the law. If there's any criminal conduct that can be established, I'm not going to hesitate to treat them as any other defendant."

Neither he nor Sheriff Sid Causey would release any information on who was present at the time of the shooting or details about why or how it happened. The State Bureau of Investigation is assisting in the investigation, they said.

"It puts a cloud over everybody," Causey said. "Nobody wants things to happen, but they do happen. When they do, we have to investigate ... and then do the approriate thing."

Search for answers

Saturday at the one-story, brown rental house, Strickland's friends and roommates stopped by to grieve the death of the tall, thin welder who friends say wanted to start his own business and was attending Cape Fear Community College.

They also searched for answers.

"I don't understand why shots were fired," Rhoton said. "I've just been trying to figure out why they shot him."

What further shocked Strickland's friends and family was that a deputy also shot and killed Strickland's German shepherd named Blaze.

The dog's blood stained the front porch, and shards of glass from the front-door windows littered the area.

A light blue sheet hung in the door frame after investigators took the door away.

The robbery

UNCW Police planned to arrest Strickland on charges of armed robbery, assault with a deadly weapon and breaking and entering.

On Friday, officers arrested another suspect, UNCW student Ryan David Mills, on the same charges. The 20-year-old lives at 4500 Crawdad Court.

Two weeks after the robbery and after reviewing surveillance video from Wal-Mart, law enforcement officers got a break in the case that started Nov. 17.

That's the Friday when UNCW student Justin Raines was among the first at the Market Street Wal-Mart to buy two coveted PlayStation 3 consoles, released that day.

When Raines came home to the on-campus Seahawk Village apartments after midnight with the games he bought for $641 apiece, two white men in a gold Pontiac pulled up to Raines' car, struck him with a six-inch blunt object and stole his purchases, leaving him with bumps and bruises, UNCW police said.

Because of safety concerns, UNCW Police Chief David Donaldson requested the help of sheriff's deputies to serve the warrants on Strickland, according to a university news release.

Three unloaded guns were in the house - a hunting rifle and two shotguns - which were in Strickland's room, Rhoton said. And when Strickland answered the door, he may have been holding a PlayStation controller in his hand, he said.

Across the country, the release of the PlayStation 3 has sparked robberies, stampedes and other violent incidents.

Before the shooting

Neighbors said they long feared that something bad would happen at 533 Long Leaf Acres Drive - a home historically known for loud parties and noise.

"We even have this address on our refrigerator because we know where the noise is coming from," said Joan Kester, adding that the complaints in the past have revolved around loud music and kids on the roof yelling.

On Friday night, Rhoton said he and Strickland played a PlayStation video game while taking a break from cleaning the house they had moved into in August. Their other two roommates weren't home.

They were playing Tiger Woods PGA Tour when they heard a knock on the door.

Strickland, who sat on a couch closest to the front door, got up to answer, Rhoton said.

As Strickland approached the door, law enforcement officials knocked it down and "there was a bunch of yelling," he said.

"Four or five shots went off and they killed him," he said. "They pinned me down to the ground and told me not to move anything."

Within seconds, Strickland lay on the floor moaning while officers held a gun to Rhoton's head as he lay on the floor.

He said they mentioned something about a search warrant, but they did not provide a copy.

"They never said why they were here, even when I left last night," said Rhoton, who attended Jordan High School with Strickland in Durham.

David assured that the District Attorney's Office would conduct a thorough investigation.

"There's nothing more important than assuring the community that officers are there to serve and protect," David said.

Welding wonders

Strickland's green, 1964 boat he rebuilt sat in the front lawn Saturday - sparking memories for his roommates and friends about how he had sunk a bunch of money into it to rebuild it.

Strickland was the youngest of three children and the only son of a well-known Raleigh-Durham-area lawyer Don Strickland.

Strickland's handiwork extended to almost anything fast - and on wheels. He loved working with metal, even making a chopper from scratch, said his friend Nick Kane.

"Not long before this ... happened, we were planning out an exhaust system for one of my four-wheelin' trucks," Rhoton said.

Strickland was like a brother to many of his friends, said friend Mike Bernard

"He was the best kid, talented, gifted, determined," he said.

keithp

12-03-2006, 10:47 PM

On Friday night, Rhoton said he and Strickland played a PlayStation video game while taking a break from cleaning the house they had moved into in August.

Ok, college students taking a break from cleaning the house on a Friday night? Now I know who's side of the story *I* believe...

Duo_Maxwell

12-03-2006, 11:04 PM

Ok, college students taking a break from cleaning the house on a Friday night? Now I know who's side of the story *I* believe...

yeah I'm guessing his roommate is full of crap. His story makes little to no sense. Seems like they were less than standup citizens. And what's with the news report trying to portray this violent thief as some kind of saint near the end. I don't give a crap what his friends, who are probably assholes too, thought of him nor do I care he worked on motorboats from 1964. And all the quotes except one came from the same frined, seems like the reporter knew the guy or somehting.

KingofOldSchool

12-03-2006, 11:16 PM

"He was the best kid, talented, gifted, determined," he said.

Oh yeah he was real determined to rob the person of their PS3.

That makes him talented and gifted, give this kid a military funeral for being such a brave robber.

E_G_Man

12-03-2006, 11:17 PM

Innocent until proven guilty? He was only suspected in the crime....

SpazX

12-03-2006, 11:32 PM

Haha, it looks like everyone here hates the guy without even knowing a damn thing.

E_G_Man

12-03-2006, 11:40 PM

I feel bad for the family of the kid and of the cop who shot him, you know that the cop is going to get the book thrown at him.

Stingermck

12-03-2006, 11:58 PM

Local news just said Strickland was also charged with felony assault in September. Neighbors say police were there every other weekend at least, for disturbances, fighting, etc. The Superintendent also received complaints from neighbors about their behavior. But family said he was a kind and gentle boy...

His roommate who was arrested, is now out on bail.

MrSneis

12-04-2006, 03:03 AM

Man lots of inconsistency in all sides of the story :/

daphatty

12-04-2006, 05:02 AM

I told you this would happen. It didn't happen Launch weekend, but it happened nonetheless. Fucking pathetic.

Stingermck

12-04-2006, 11:42 AM

OK, since I live here in Wilmington, Ill keep posting new articles. Now they're saying that a SWAT like team as at the house, interesting....

3 deputies on leave after shooting

Investigation continuing in death of suspect described by family as 'kind and gentle'

By Veronica Gonzalez

Three members of an elite unit of the New Hanover County Sheriff's Department are on paid leave after the fatal shooting of an 18-year-old suspected of stealing two PlayStation 3 video game systems, Sheriff Sid Causey said Sunday.

Whenever law enforcement officers fire their service weapons, it is standard procedure for them to be put on paid leave.

The heavily armed emergency response team - similar to a SWAT unit - was called in Friday to help the UNCW police serve warrants for the arrest of Peyton Brooks Strickland, who was facing charges of armed robbery, assault with a deadly weapon and breaking and entering.

Causey did not release the names of the deputies. He acknowledged that the information should be public record but said he was concerned for the deputies' safety.

Strickland's roommate, Mike Rhoton, said Saturday that the two were home alone at 533 Long Leaf Acres Drive playing video games when deputies opened fire on Strickland, who Rhoton said was unarmed, and his German shepherd Blaze, who was also killed.

But Causey indicated that officers and deputies had a reason to fear for their lives. "If this boy would've come to the door - opened the door - we probably wouldn't be talking," he said.

The emergency response team typically is called to assist in incidents ranging from hostage situations to serving warrants when officers believe they're going into dangerous situations, Causey said.

The sheriff would not say what specifically prompted the need for the emergency response team to arrest Strickland or what transpired at Strickland's home Friday night because the State Bureau of Investigation is examining the incident.

"The plan was to get in the house, secure people and let UNCW (police) search," he said.

In Causey's four years as sheriff, he said, he couldn't recall another time when the UNCW police requested the emergency response team. But this case warranted it, he said.

Deputies were assisting the UNCW police to arrest Strickland on the charges and search the house he rented with three other roommates. They also arrested Ryan David Mills, a 20-year-old UNCW student, on the same charges, according to the university. Mills' address is listed at 4500 Crawdad Court, according to UNCW.

Mills was released from New Hanover County jail after posting a $30,000 secured bond Saturday morning.

A spokeswoman for the Strickland family, Joyce Fitzpatrick, said Sunday that Mills and Strickland were friends.

'Kind and gentle boy'
In a statement released Sunday, Strickland's parents, Kathy and Don Strickland, said their son "was a kind and gentle boy."

Strickland had no criminal record, but he was scheduled for a court hearing in January on a pending assault charge in Wilmington, said Donald Beskind, the law partner of Strickland's father and a friend. Beskind did not give details on the assault, but on Sunday said it was "the kind of thing that happens between two kids."

Next in investigation

When law enforcement officers or deputies fire their service weapon - regardless of whether it's a fatal shooting - they are immediately placed on paid leave.

The clothing, gear and weapons they had at the time of the shooting, along with items at the scene, are taken as evidence until an investigation is completed, Causey said. In this case, even the front door was taken as evidence.

The deputies involved in Friday's fatal shooting have been members of the sheriff's office for several years, the sheriff said.

Causey said that his office will conduct its own investigation into Friday's shooting and that he would release any findings as soon as the SBI concluded its part. "We're not going to sit on it for months," he said.

'High-risk entries'

The emergency response team is made up of six deputies who perform those duties full-time.

"A lot of people don't want to work for an (emergency response team)," Causey said. "It's dangerous. They get killed."

In addition, about 20 other deputies in the roughly 400-member department receive special training to serve on the team, he said.

When the team is called to an incident, as was the case on Friday night, they wear reinforced bullet-proof vests, Kevlar helmets and special goggles. They are armed with a .45-caliber service weapons and rifles, Causey said.

"Normally, the entrance team has a ballistics shield. It's Kevlar and it's maybe 5-foot high, bulletproof," Causey said, adding the shield includes a light to blind people. "They're led by Lt. Doug Price, who is an outstanding law enforcement officer and an outstanding person," he said.

The unit has existed since the 1970s, and many of the members have served in the military.

"All their entries are high-risk entries," Causey said, adding the tactical team knows the history of the people they're facing and whether they have weapons.

imascrub

12-04-2006, 12:42 PM

the guy's roommate is posing quite well in the picture from the first link

mykevermin

12-04-2006, 05:03 PM

I feel bad for the family of the kid and of the cop who shot him, you know that the cop is going to get the book thrown at him.

And rightfully so. Shooting an unarmed person, even if a suspect, is not proper police procedure. It's unnecessary, it's unethical, and it's reckless. The person who fired should not be a police officer.

allout1986

12-04-2006, 05:10 PM

Who would have thought that my city would make the news like this. The cop definitely should not have shot which has been stated... but even shooting, why shoot to kill?

spamfree2

12-04-2006, 05:21 PM

I think the school/police had some prior info about the kid. Why else would they call in the SWAT? Not all arrest warrants include an escort by SWAT. I don't think they intended to kill the kid. A bad situation just gone extremely bad.. Not that the guy deserved to die but he isn't a saint either..

R1V3R5

12-04-2006, 05:40 PM

ITDEFX

12-04-2006, 05:42 PM

let me get this right. If your 18, your still considered a teenager? I thought at 18, you considered an adult.

Rusty Ghia

12-04-2006, 05:48 PM

I thought teenager = 13-19 years of age. Notice the -teen suffix.

Arlss

12-04-2006, 05:56 PM

i guess when the broke the door in the "suspect" had the controller in his hand (playing obviously), so the cops opened up on him and his dogg...sounds a little to much like that skit on Chappelle

mykevermin

12-04-2006, 05:56 PM

Wow, I didn't realize that 90% of CAG'ers were so anti-police. I'm sure you guys call 911 just like everyone else when in an emergency situation but here you are bad mouthing the police and defending a thief who already had charges of felony assault from a previous incident! As for the officers now being "on leave," it is quite common of that to happen to all officers involved in a shooting regardless of if was a justified kill. The Sheriff's dept as said they had firearms at the house and that Strickland may have had something in his hand. And for those people who think that the officer should have just shot to wound him, you obviously watch too many damn movies.

So, then, shooting an unarmed person is justified?

Stingermck

12-04-2006, 06:03 PM

Local News @ 5PM. Nothing new mentioned yet.

Just "The SBI and the Attorney General's office are investigating the incident. David says the charges against Strickland are dismissed."

spamfree2

12-04-2006, 06:16 PM

In a crisis situation, it is kill or be killed. You play with fire, sometimes you'll get burnt. If the cops felt threatened, they go with their instinct.

Chris in Cali

12-04-2006, 06:17 PM

I have no sympothy for criminals. I feel bad about the dog though.

Michaellvortega

12-04-2006, 06:18 PM

This is why Police need helmet cams like in GRAW. Everyone can see how things really went down.

mykevermin

12-04-2006, 06:21 PM

In a crisis situation, it is kill or be killed. You play with fire, sometimes you'll get burnt. If the cops felt threatened, they go with their instinct.

Serving a warrant = not a crisis situation.

yellowcoward

12-04-2006, 06:21 PM

IF.....

a)they were made aware the people entering the house were officers
b)the officers were aware of the risk of firearms being in the apartment
c)officers guns were drawn
d)the violent criminal record having suspect resisted, fought, then made a move for a pocket, couch, or drawer or made some other threatening motion

...then yes shoot a suspect even if later they are found to be unarmed.

E_G_Man

12-04-2006, 06:22 PM

spamfree2

12-04-2006, 06:39 PM

Serving a warrant = not a crisis situation.

If it was just serving a warrant, why would they call out the SWAT ? They must have known the guy had guns.

White-Wolf

12-04-2006, 06:47 PM

So, then, shooting an unarmed person is justified?
ok i dont know exactly what happend, but this is a good estimate.

1 They break down the door.

2 dog rushes cops.

3 confusion and chaos

4 cop confuses ps3 controller for a gun as he waves it around. its black a black dark blurry shape waved at cops, while at the same time they are being attacked by a dog. all happens within 5 or 10 seconds. Lots of shouting.

5 a cop doesent need to see the weapon to open fire. If it looks like your pulling out a gun from someplace, and you make stuped movements, they have the right to fire on you.

6 the cops were wrong about him having a gun. They will be investigated to see if suspect did something to make cops fear he had a gun or not. keep in mind he is being served with armed robbery so they know he has a gun, but they dont know he has a gun on him at the time. It may be concealed. It you make it seem like you have a weapon around cops in order to protect thier lives, they must attack you or every cop will live in fear and no cop will beable to get thier job done.

sounds like they did what they were trained to do. They were wrong. I feel bad for the cop. Shooting an unarmed person you think is armed is most likely the worst fear of a cop.

Stingermck

12-04-2006, 08:24 PM

http://www.wral.com/news/10458625/detail.html

Autopsy Shows Deputies Shot Durham Teen In Head

WILMINGTON, N.C. -- A Durham teen who was killed late Friday by sheriff's deputies in Wilmington died from a gunshot wound to the head, according to the Medical Examiner's Office in Jacksonville...

...Seven bullet fragments were recovered from the house after the shooting, according to a search warrant. Drug paraphernalia also was seized from the house, the warrant said...

EDIT:

Details in fatal Playstation shooting won't be released until next week

Updated at 4:17pm | No details in the fatal shooting of an 18-year-old suspected of robbing a UNCW student of two PlayStation 3 video game systems will be released for at least one week, District Attorney Ben David told reporters at a news conference this morning.

xeverex18

12-04-2006, 09:43 PM

sounds like a bad kid to me.

keithp

12-05-2006, 07:16 AM

Serving a warrant = not a crisis situation.

As has been said, IF the officers feared for their safety, then YES it would = crisis situation, and the shooting is certainly justified.

Regrettable, but definitely justified IMO.

Sorry, you're not going to get any sympathy for the crook from me.

Lauryn2000

12-05-2006, 08:52 AM

Man, what's with all the sympathy over a dead thief? Cops USUALLY don't kill unless they have a reason to fear for their lives.

A little sympathy is probably warranted over this need for "excessive force" but
if HE didn't STEAL the PS3's in the first place he wouldn't be dead.Sounds like
karma to me...live by the sword die by the sword.You can't go beating,shooting
and killing people for your own personal greed and NOT expect itto catch up.

Rags

12-05-2006, 09:13 AM

Man that would suck, playin' some next gen golf then the door bell rings and your friend answers it then the next thing you know you hear 5 gunshots and some douchebag cop has a gun to your head arresting you.

Don't steal and start shit with a cop and stuff like this won't happen.

You guy's don't know how much shit he stole to pay for that boat restoration...

Brian9824

12-05-2006, 09:20 AM

In all likelyhood he was playing the game and initially ignored the police to finish the game. When he beat it and came to the door he was agitated and yelling and waving his hand around. He did something to give them reason to suspsect he was armed and the followed their training and went for a kill shot.

The dog probably spooked by the loud noise and strange people went to attack and they shot him too.

mykevermin

12-05-2006, 09:48 AM

As has been said, IF the officers feared for their safety, then YES it would = crisis situation, and the shooting is certainly justified.

Regrettable, but definitely justified IMO.

Sorry, you're not going to get any sympathy for the crook from me.

So, where do you draw the line with people being shot and killed for breaking the law? Non-felonious theft? Speeding? Leaving the scene of a crime?

There's a remarkable difference between having "sympathy for the crook" and recognizing that, as human beings, our police force consists of people capable of human error as much as anyone else, and that it is the duty of the justice system to enact justice. Taking that further, it would be an absurd and outrage-inducing outcome to find the defendant in a misdemeanor theft case guilty, and subsequently give him the death penalty. Right? So, why should the policeman be given the benefit of the doubt?

Those making "if the policeman views it as a crisis situation, it is justified" arguments have provided an argument that would lead, in review, to the justification of any and every potential breach of police authority imaginable, since you have exalted the words of the officers, and diminished and considered unimportant the words of those who are not.

Consider the same scenario in the OP, but the police had gone to the wrong address. What then?

In the end, if you think I'm anti-police, you're tackling the wrong argument, and putting up a foolish straw man that has nothing to do with the words I am typing.

If you think that not-yet-indicted individuals are justified in being killed prior to trial, you have the most severe misunderstanding of our judicial system.

Was this person a good person? Perhaps not. What little we know about him (he had some priors, possessed unloaded guns, and was yelling with the police prior to his death) seems to paint a tale of a dreadful human being; consider, however, that such a biography is immensely incomplete, and doesn't truly give you an idea of what this person was like, unless you want to make assumptions about his character and fill in the blanks yourself (not something you'd be very convincing of in court, mind you).

Rags

12-05-2006, 09:53 AM

If the kid was a kind and gentle little guy they would not have called in the fucking swat team. This is not just leaving the scene of a crime, BUT if when a warrant is served for the leaving the scene, I start shit with the cops AND a swat team and I get shot, MY FAULT. More info is needed to come up to ANY conclusion. All guesstamates mean nothing, too many variables to throw in.

Anybody think that the dad sounds like an enabler? I mean, he says "it is just something kids do" when he has an assault charge. And when that says that I assume that it means to say battery(assault is just the threat of harm).
Even still, I don't have any assault and battery charges and assume most on here don't. So why would the dad say he is kind and gentle when he has a criminal past AND had a court date set for assault and battery?

Eh.....

Sounds like a bad apple got squished.

Stingermck

12-05-2006, 10:05 AM

2nd suspect was considered dangerous

http://www.wilmingtonstar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061205/NEWS/61205002

An Internet image of three smiling young men hoisting a shotgun, an assault rifle and handguns might have given New Hanover County sheriff’s deputies cause to believe a suspect in a Nov. 17 robbery of two Sony PlayStation3 game systems from a college student was armed and dangerous...

...Mills is seen holding a shotgun in the Web image from campusblender.com. UNCW police received information that Mills was known to carry a firearm, according to the probable cause statement accompanying the search warrant.

The warrant also states that Strickland was charged Sept. 22 in Wilmington with assault inflicting serious injury, another possible indicator of the potential for violence when police served the warrant...

...UNCW police also received information that one of the stolen PS3 units was sold in an Internet auction, and the other game system could be found at 533 Long Leaf Acres Drive. When police and the ERT Team arrived Friday, Strickland and a roommate, Mike Rhoton, were playing video games. Rhoton said four or five shots were fired...

...Mills was a no-show Monday for a scheduled District Court date. Lawyer Alexander Hall appeared on his behalf. Judge John J. Carroll III set a return court date of Jan. 4. Mills remains free on $30,000 secured bond. When reached at home Monday, wearing a white dress shirt, tie and black slacks, Mills said he had no comment on the robbery...

-Well I wonder if thats how he payed for all that boat restoration, eBaying one of the PS3's he helped steal.

Rags

12-05-2006, 10:08 AM

I think the real victim in this incident is the guy who's PS3 was stolen.

I figured he used money from stolen shit to pay for his boat too.

AND maybe since this happened, Strickland's friends will think differently and not be such assbags in the future.

Michaellvortega

12-05-2006, 10:13 AM

I guess Judge Dredd served the guy.

http://img223.imageshack.us/img223/8615/dred3tozn4.th.jpg (http://img223.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dred3tozn4.jpg)

spamfree2

12-05-2006, 12:25 PM

Click to view Peyton Strickland pix... http://www.wral.com/2006/1203/10449513_400X300.jpg

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/16160668.htm

Some saw trouble

The college boys claimed the only rental house on the street, and neighbors didn't welcome their late-night parties, said Scott Keenan, who lives across Long Leaf Acres Drive.

More than once, Keenan said, he climbed out of bed in the early morning hours to tell the boys to turn down their rap music. Other nights, neighbors called police. "Everybody was sick of that house," Keenan said. "The cops would come and break up a party, then we'd have to call them right back."

Neighbors got quite a scare this fall, Keenan said, when Strickland warned them that a fistfight he'd won might provoke vengeance on their house. "He bragged about beating up some kid, then he told me there might be a shootout at the house," Keenan recalled.

Strickland got into trouble with police in September after a UNCW student complained that Strickland popped his jaw during a fistfight, according to Wilmington Police reports. The victim, Nathan Harrington, 22, of Lee County, said Sunday that Strickland punched him in the face after he asked Strickland, a friend of a friend, to leave his apartment.

Doctors had to wire his mouth shut for six weeks, Harrington said. Strickland was arrested on a charge of assault inflicting serious injury; the case was still pending.

Family friends say these episodes don't jibe with the compassionate and talented young man they knew.

Reality's Fringe

12-05-2006, 01:16 PM

Family friends say these episodes don't jibe with the compassionate and talented young man they knew.

:roll:

jollydwarf

12-05-2006, 01:23 PM

I'm a guy who's usually left of center...but not here. These situations are never 100% cut-and-dry, but I'm willing to wager that the police erred on the side of Caution. They know what the reprecussions are if they needlessly go all 'Boondock Saints' on someone.

That said, I think we should wait for more specific details to be released before we get too emotionally invested in one 'side' of this debate or another.

There are people that will come to no good end and are better off dead, I truly believe that. You steal a PS3 from a linesitter, on top of multiple other transgressions? You're probably one of 'em.

mykevermin

12-05-2006, 01:26 PM

jollydwarf

12-05-2006, 01:36 PM

You read what you want to read, you spin it like you want to spin it.

Goodbye.

Rags

12-05-2006, 01:57 PM

No matter the details of what happened in the apartment before the shooting OR other details such as prior record or witnesses>

If he had not stolen that PS3 he would not have been in that situation to begin with. There is no argument for that.

spamfree2

12-05-2006, 03:00 PM

http://www.campusblender.com/photos/fullsize/239671.jpg

Peyton is the middle guy...

Lauryn2000

12-05-2006, 10:05 PM

http://www.campusblender.com/photos/fullsize/239671.jpg

Peyton is the middle guy...

He should have taken that "talent" and joined the military.

The Army and Marine's need folks to send to Iraq and Afghanistan,
especially infantry men to put on the front lines.

What's that they got there M16,sawed off shot gun and a 22???

Everything is all fun and games until someone gets hurt...pretty
sure the other two aren't laughing now.

Stingermck

12-06-2006, 02:29 AM

Interview With Student Who had Playstations Stolen (http://www.wect.com/global/video/popup/pop_player.asp?ClipID1=1103365&h1=Interview%20With%20Student%20Who%20had%20Playst ations%20Stolen&vt1=v&at1=News&d1=120033&LaunchPageAdTag=Homepage&activePane=info&playerVersion=1&hostPageUrl=http%3A//www.wect.com/&rnd=16)

Stingermck

12-06-2006, 12:22 PM

Shots likely hit door, then teen

Pathologist: Police bullets passed through 'intervening targets'

http://www.wilmingtonstar.com/apps/.../NEWS/612060416

Law enforcement officers may have fired through a front door Friday night as sheriff's deputies and University of North Carolina Wilmington police officers attempted to serve an arrest warrant on Peyton Strickland in connection with the Nov. 17 robbery of two PlayStation 3 game stations from a UNCW student.

Strickland, 18, was shot in the head and right shoulder area and fatally wounded in the house he lived in at 533 Long Leaf Acres Drive. Strickland's death is attributed to a gunshot wound to the head, said Charles L. Garrett, the pathologist who performed the autopsy.

Garrett said Tuesday that the state medical examiner's office in Jacksonville is working with the State Bureau of Investigation in trying to determine at what range the bullets that struck the Cape Fear Community College student were fired from.

"Some of the bullets went through intervening targets, probably the door," Garrett said. Both bullets that struck Strickland passed through him into the house, he added.

New Hanover County Sheriff Sid Causey has refused to divulge the names of the deputies on the sheriff's office Emergency Response Team that served the warrant.

The Star-News and other media outlets will file a complaint today in New Hanover County Superior Court requesting an order compelling disclosure of public records. The names of the three deputies who have been placed on administrative leave, along with the names of the other deputies present when the warrant was served, are sought.

"I am not releasing their names, their address or anything about them until the investigation is complete. If there's anything in the investigation that was done wrong, I will take responsibility for it," Causey said Tuesday. "The investigation is going to be finished soon and we will reveal all the facts."

Causey said he saw postings on several Web sites that threatened harm to the deputies involved in the incident.

"It's stuff like that that's being suggested that concerns me a whole lot when I think somebody is going to go to an officer's house to harm him, his family or anybody else," Causey said.

"When the investigation is finished, we'll review it, and if there is any action that needs to be taken, we'll take it."....

Rags

12-06-2006, 04:54 PM

After looking at that picture, I would have figured the guy on the left to be gunned down by police after a bell tower sniping. The guy has crazy eyes.

Stingermck

12-11-2006, 05:11 PM

Deputy charged with murder in Strickland shooting

http://www.wilmingtonstar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061211/BREAKING/61211004

Cpl. Christopher M. Long has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with the Dec. 1 shooting death of Peyton Strickland, District Attorney Ben David said today.

Strickland, 18, was shot in the head and right shoulder area and fatally wounded Dec. 1 in the house he lived in at 533 Long Leaf Acres Drive. Strickland’s death is attributed to a gunshot wound to the head, officials said.

His shooting came as members of the sheriff’s heavily armed and armored Emergency Response Team and UNCW police officers sought to arrest Strickland at his home at 533 Long Leaf Acres Drive. Strickland had been charged in connection with the Nov. 17 robbery of two PlayStation 3 game stations from a UNCW student.

The State Bureau of Investigation is looking into the shooting.

On Friday, Sheriff Sid Causey announced that Long had been fired. Long was one of three deputies placed on administrative leave after the shooting. The other two are Sgt. Greg Johnson, Detective Larry Robinson and Long.

David said today that Johnson and Robinson had been cleared in the investigation.

Long, 34, was hired on July 31, 1996, as a New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office deputy.

Long was serving as a corporal, making an annual salary of $43,323.

Long was involved in a shooting incident on Feb. 8, 2001, involving two teenagers in the 1600 block of Queen Street. Long had made a traffic stop and approached the car to ask the occupants about the license plates, which did not match the car.

Long said the driver, 17-year-old Gregory Donell Miller, attempted to run him over before pulling away. Long fired at Miller and 18-year-old Terry Lamar Green, wounding both. Then-District Attorney John Carriker decided in April 2001 that no charges would be filed against Long.

“It was my feeling from the beginning that the shooting was in self-defense, and so now I’m just glad he has been exonerated,” then-Sheriff Sonny Lanier said at the time.

A Superior Court jury convicted Miller later in 2001 of assault with a deadly weapon on a law enforcement officer. He and Green were also convicted of possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana for just over half an ounce of the drug found by the brake pedal in the car.

Green died in a June 2004 shooting that Wilmington police said was drug-related.

--------------------
Edit: On the local news, they just said Long just saw a judge, and some details are now known. Strickland came to the door, looked out, then walked back to the living room. An officer (beside Long) then started hitting the door with the bull ram, to knock it down. Long says he confused that sound, with gunfire, and then opened fire himself. Once inside the dog came after them, and all 3 officers opened fire on it.

keithp

12-12-2006, 11:10 PM

[UPDATE] Charges dropped against officer! See last two paragraphs.

From Gameestop:

Cop not charged in PS3 shooting
[UPDATE] Charges dropped in case involving police officer fatally shooting teen suspected of stealing PS3s; jury foreman says he "checked the wrong box."
By Emma Boyes, GameSpot UK
Posted Dec 12, 2006 3:59 pm PT
A series of crimes has dogged the US launch of Sony's PlayStation 3. So far in the life of the console, which sells for an average of just under $1,200 on eBay, there have been shootings, muggings, and thefts.

In one instance, a student who had waited in line for three days to get his hands on two of the consoles was battered with a blunt object while unloading the PS3s from his car. The consoles were stolen during the assault. Some two weeks later, police served warrants on two other students suspected of being involved in the assault. During the raid on one of the residences, in which the Emergency Response Team (ERT) was called in to support the campus police, suspect Peyton Strickland was fatally shot.

Christopher Long, who had been a deputy since 1996 and had participated in the raid, was fired from his post on December 8 by Sheriff Sid Causey. Yesterday Long was indicted on a charge of second-degree murder by a New Hanover County grand jury, according to the local paper, The Wilmington Star News.

During the raid, the officers could see into the residence through three glass window panes on the front door. According to an official report, the officers watched Strickland approach the door, look through the window, and then walk away. Previously, Strickland's roommate Michael Rhoton had said that the youth might have been holding a PS3 controller as he approached the door, leading some to speculate that the officers mistook the black object in his hand for a weapon, but no mention was made of the controller in grand jury testimony. It was stated, however, that the student was unarmed.

The officers ordered him to open the door and another sheriff's deputy began using a battering ram to enter the premises. Officer Long confused the sound of the battering ram striking the door with gunfire, and fired shots, the autopsy later reported. Strickland was shot in the shoulder and in the head--the fatal shot had ricocheted off another object into his skull.

Two other deputies, currently on paid leave, have been cleared of any wrongdoing.

[UPDATE] In a dramatic turn of events, murder charges against Long have been dismissed, after the grand jury foreman admitted to incorrectly checking the wrong box that would decide Long's fate.

Upon hearing the news, Strickland's parents released the following statement: "Yesterday, our son's murderer was going to have to answer for what he did. Today, we just don't know what is going on in Wilmington. We are upset, confused and searching for answers."

crystalklear64

12-13-2006, 05:39 PM

Man, what's with all the sympathy over a dead thief?
Um.. just because he stole something doesn't mean he's suddenly not a human.

rutger1413

12-14-2006, 10:03 AM

mykevermin

12-14-2006, 10:11 AM

he was still human, but he would still be alive if not for stealing the PS3's. It was his decision and regrettably he is dead. Did he get whet he deserved? I would say a bit more. Do i think he should have died? No, but if he would have went to jail/prison, or was on probation, who's to say he wouldn't do it again? Once a thug, always a thug, and the only good thing about it is that he wont do it again.

I also don't believe the officer did anything wrong, unless he had ties to the victim. Don't think he is off scott free, he will probably never be an officer again and will have this on his back for the rest of his life.

It's good to see you have faith in our criminal justice system; if you believe "once a thug, always a thug," then I recommend you write your congressman and demand that no person ever convicted of any crime ever be released, placed on parole, or put on probation. After all...always a thug, right? Why not incarcerate a theif for life if they're caught?