North Carolina deputy kills suspected PS3 thief and his dog [update 2]

@42 Ben

The dog didn't steal anything and, like any dog, it was likely just pissed that there were guys barging into its home violently. People feel sorry for the dog because it got caught up in human affairs that it is in no way really related to. That blows. It is a hell of a lot easier to feel sorry for a dead dog than for for someone who committed armed robbery.

Anyways, I'm not trying to make a huge case for "the poor dog" really, I am just saying, lay off. Lay off of the people who wanna say "oh the poor dog" because, yeah, that sucks for the dog. The dog is pitiable.

And don't do that stupid hardass shit you are trying to pull off. You just end up sounding immature and bitter.

The way I see it is this, if the suspect was inocent then the cops made a tragic error, however if he was involved in the theft he got everything he deserved.

Its soft to say he was only stealing a couple of PS3's and that shouldnt get you shot. Im sorry but I dont feel bad at all for him, the world is a bad place made bad by people like him so it now has one less ass hole in the world. Ive had no money in the past no job and shit and i didnt need to rob people i just tried harder in my life and got a job.

The only real bad news is the dog had to die however the dog died with honour pretecting its master with its life he gets a medal in my book.

Foetoid wrote:

"You need to shut you mouth when your talking to me (?). My comment was purely based on the notion that IF he had also shot the PS3's in question, we COULD flame him as a Nintendo Fanboy. Obviously that didnt happen. Unlike N3k74r and other posters here, my comment wasn't at all disrespectful. I personally know what it is like to lose a loved one who was wrongfully killed by police so i would like to kindly ask you to shut the fuck up and leave me out of your examples."

My most sincere apologies if I seem to have struck a nerve with you, Foetoid. I was simply grouping all of the people who posted before I commented together that seemed to be viewing this whole event as comical. According to your own admission, you *were* in fact doing that as well.

Go back and re-read what I wrote. I'm not attacking you or them, or any of the dozen people that commented since then. I just fail to see how humor is an appropriate response in this situation. Thank you kindly for your comments, your suggestion, and your reaction.

I know it's harsh to demand the death penalty for that officer (assuming the kid was really unarmed, as most video game college kids would likely be), but if a fried cop is what it takes to get those fuckers to stop shooting innocent people, then so be it.

I'm sick and tired of seeing stories like this.

If the kid stole the PS3's, that makes this a little less awful. But only a little less.

I was going to say that the cops could just pick him up on his way to Best Buy, he stole a PS3 for god's sake.

But then I tried to think of a game worth buying...

Ok, obviously none of us know the full story so we can't be sure about anything. But this is what seems to be true so far.

1.The guy was unarmed except for the fact that the guy was carrying a controller. And we know how light the Sixaxis is http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/18/sixaxis-controller-is-worth-its-weight-ps3-annoyance-002/

2. I own a mutt that's part German Shepherd and although these dogs might snarl, they're still dogs. You don't need to kill them. This aspect of the case IS important because it kind of makes the case that the cop was acting in self-defense a little less reputable.

And according to the roomate, the guy wasn't shot by jumping at the cops, in fact he was on the ground.

" '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."

There are ways to stop people besides killing them. You can use Tasers or bean bag rounds, or shoot them without killing them. You know, like, in the leg or something.

I'm not the kind of person who thinks that all cops are corrupt. But I also don't think all cops are heroes. They have a job, and like any other worker, some are really good and some are really bad. Just like the guy who was killed, the sheriff is innocent until proven guilty. But there is going to have to be a lot of evidence to come out to make me think this guy didn't step over the line.

The dog saw too much...

Well, add these 2 pigs to the big ol' List Of People Who Deserve To Die A Horrible Death list.

Some of you guys make me want to vomit, by the way, for defending these moron cops. I wonder if the victim was black. That would certainly not come as a surprise. These kids obviously weren't saints, but they sure as Hell shouldn't have been killed. There was no reason to go in there with guns ablazin'. that goes for the dog, too. There was ABSOLUTELY no reason for that.

Until the US military stands down, it's time we suspended the Second Amendment. I'm sorry, but it's true. And if you don't understand that, learn the purpose of the second amendment. Non-lethal weapons should be standard issue for cops, and lethal weapons should still be issued to them, but be used ONLY in the most dire of circumstances. Why should this happen? Because the more we put these pea-brained cop's (most of whom have dick size issues...just get to know your local PD and you'll agree) tiny little minds at ease, the less likely this scenario occurs again and AGAIN AND *AGAIN*.

4th Dimension Indeed.

Was it the same deputy that shot the suspect and the dog? Or was it 2 separate deputies? The news article seems pretty vague on whether or not it was the same guy. But I guess that doesn't really matter too much.

Police are not allowed to pull out their guns on a person unless he suspect that he is armed, and they are not allowed to shoot a suspect unless he threatens the lives of others. I can understand shooting the the dog if it was a large dog and it attacked the police, but they should not have shot an unarmed man. It sounds to me the cops were a little trigger happy or perhaps they had info that the suspects were considered armed and dangerous? They even held a gun to the roommate's head, even though they had him pinned and he wasn't struggling.

Also, to the people saying we can't make light of it... what the hell do you think every time you turn on the TV and see a Steve Irwin joke?


Death is always funny, particularly outlandish death, so long as you are not personally involved.
No exceptions. Ever.

"51. I know it's harsh to demand the death penalty for that officer (assuming the kid was really unarmed, as most video game college kids would likely be), but if a fried cop is what it takes to get those fuckers to stop shooting innocent people, then so be it.

I'm sick and tired of seeing stories like this. "


Stop being a kneejerk dumbass.

For every story like this you get five of a cop being killed in the line of duty.


You have no clue what the facts of this situation were. You don't know if the guy attacked the cops. You don't know that he was definitely unarmed.
Cops need to be able to protect themselves, even by deadly means.
If it takes killing a few guys that attack cops to get people to cooperate peacefully so be it. It isn't the cops breaking the laws.

This is a very disheartening story.

I don't know all the details, but the facts are that a young man and his dog have lost their lives over a piece of machinery that, in the long run, shouldn't be worth a person's life.

I can hardly imagine how his family and friends are dealing with the news.

This is definatly a sad situation for all involved. Both the Police involved and the family of the deceased. I will not pass condemnation on the Police or the deceased here though without the full story.

But I do side more with the police since this person was suspected of armed robbery. The Police would have been on more alert in this situation. They are trained professionals and have training in handling situations were they are forced to put there lives in danger and choose to kill if neccessary. There are no real superhero's that never kill anyone or the cowboys that shoot the gun out of the bad guys hand that is fantasy and such actions would be concidered reckless.

Dogs are very loyal so it may have acted in protection of its master even before they had to make the decision to shoot either. So before you condemn these officers remember they will have to live with the fact that they took a life even if it was or wasn't the best decision at the time.

Anybody that says the police should not defend themselves against man or beast are really not being fair to them. If this turns out to be a case of the the Police not obeying policy or doing this in cold blood then this should be addressed accordingly. But there is is a broad range of situations or mistakes by both parties that could have been made this situation unfold the way it did.

"Death is always funny, particularly outlandish death, so long as you are not personally involved.
No exceptions. Ever."

I have heard many dumb comments in my life, especially on internet message boards, but this one takes the cake. That is the most retarded comment I have ever heard in my life. Congratulations.

Yeah samfish, that's great. It really is.

I love how you wonder if the man involved was black. You would make Al Sharpton (one of the biggest and most pompous assholes in the world) proud.

Is jumping to conclusions something you do a lot? Because I never read anything about the police jumping in guns blazing.

And police shouldn't carry any lethal weapons? Awesome. Then I guess they should really fare well against those thugs in the streets with illegally procured pistols and rifles in the case of a shoot out. Oh, but I see that you allow the police to have guns in the most "dire of circumstances". Man, am I glad that the typical drug runner has the courtesy to announce his intent to fire upon the cops chasing at him.

"Alright boys, I have a 9mm right here in my hand and I'm going to start shooting so get your guns out. Oh wait, you have to go back to the station to get them? Oh no, no, don't worry about me, it's cool. I'll wait."

Somebody needs to get this guy to run for police Commissioner of New York. He'll do an incredible job.

"I have heard many dumb comments in my life, especially on internet message boards, but this one takes the cake. That is the most retarded comment I have ever heard in my life. Congratulations."

I find it hard to believe you haven't laughed at death before.
If it's not someone somehow connected to your life personally, it can definitely be funny.

Were Cory Lidle jokes funny? Yes.
Were Steve Irwin jokes funny? Yes.
Were Jon-Erik Hexum jokes funny? Yes.
Were Elvis/Toilet jokes funny? Yes.

I'd be hard pressed to believe you've never laughed at a joke about the demise of someone else. Elvis is probably the number one target.

The misfortune of others is funny. I'm sure you've also laughed at jokes about Roy (he of Sigfried.)

This is bad news. Man this world is fucked up. I feel sorry for the kid, the dog and the cop.

don't you know that blunt instrument was 6lbs plus gravity!?
you ever get shit stolen from you?? a car? come home to a ransacked house?? screw losers who mess other people's property.. that's why we have the right to bear arms and to put a cap in anyone messing with your stuff!
jackass stole and then pissed off the cop.. if he just gave up he would of just got a slap on the wrist.. which is way easier than the slap on the head he gave to the victim... way to go New Carolina!!

You know who hates cops? Bad guys. Have you ever been harassed by a cop? Probably not. Has anyone you known been shot by a cop, harassed, beat...probably not. I know some of you will write "Oh yeah, my buddy was beat down by some pigs."....bullshit. If you keep your fucking nose clean, cops don't shoot you and your dog. Everyone is so quick to jump on the cops back but do you know what kind of shit and scum they have to deal with every day? No...you don't.

Drug dealers, gang members, wife beaters, thieves...you name it. Whose stopping these pieces of shit?...you?....no.

My buddy was a cop here in vegas, he responded to a domestic violence call. Everything was ok when he got there and then the husband went to take a piss when my friend was filling out the report. Guy came out with a gun and blew a hole in my friend's leg. He barely got out of there alive and now walks with a fucking cane, disabled.

Yeah, you don't hear about all the lives cops save or all the bad guys they get, all you hear about is when a cop makes a mistake. If this kid was innocent and the cop fucked up, he should be punished, that's what happens.

And all you people saying the cops shouldn't have guns and they should get the death penalty, if our country wasn't so fucking liberal in the first place, these piece of shit drug dealers, rapists etc. would be scared shitless to do anything wrong. Not now, they have more rights than the police, and get more chances to fuck up. If a cop fucks up, he's fired/put in jail. Someone can rape a person and get a slap on the wrist to be able to do it again. I don't know.

I live in Wilmington, NC, where the incident happened. Trust me, the town is going nuts with this. And the police force isn't afraid to fire or throw a cop in jail if he was at fault.

But you guys have to understand what a cop is going through. He probably had no idea what was in the house and there were probably reasons for the cop to fire. That doesn't make the death right, but cops put their lives on the line constantly, so they get jumpy.

And the dog? Whatever. Cops will shot a dog in a second, especially if the dog is big, barking, and heading his way. And trust me, if a dog is barking, pissed, running at you with huge jaws, yeah, you'd shot it too.

It always surprises me that in a country that screams about being open and free valuing life and liberty over everything, its peoplare are always ready to abandon their freedoms in the site of authority and what it stands for.

If this guy did the crime, his consequences should match the severity, of his actions. While many think it is noble to argue the cops point of view. I would like to pose the question, that what good is that police officer if he can't be cool and calm under pressure. Make no doubt about it, we pay them to enter dangerous situations, and handle lifes scum. Yet we also arm them, and tell them of these dangers; holding them on a pedestle as compared to other professinals through life. IF a brain surgeon started shaking when he saw the site of blood, would we hire them to be head of surgery. If a fire fighter feinted at the site of heat and flame, would they be counted on? Then why when cops pull their guns, in situations that are not needed, they are defended? Understand that if you took these same cops and asked them to arrest somebody in the Mafia there would be quite the opposite reaction, because they wouldn't want to deal with the reprocustions of shooting somebody that could hurt them, the same if this individual was part of the fortune 500 but had molested children.

Before you defend somebody taking a life, examine the situation in which they were willing to snuff out that life. It is easy to be brave and draw your gun when your going after somebody who doesn't matter, but I would have highly doubted, this situation would have ended the same way if this was somebody with social or monetary status. If this guy was a threat measure have to be taken to ensure the cops safety, I am not prosecuting the cops actions of the back. What I am examining is peoples willingness to automatically call the actions just not hearing both sides, because he is an authority and his actions must be "honorable".

I'm the one who is being called disrespectful to verbal a man who pulled the crime of armed robbery?

Which is you know, wrong and breaking the law?


Yeah. Get your ways straight.

Well, I think theres ONE thing we all can agree on.

Only in America.

Man, what a horrible incident. Yes, stealing is a crime, and it's wrong, but the outcome of murder is very unfortunate. Most of us, if not all, probably do not know the full story, but still...you can't help but feel bad over it, from whichever perspective you're coming from.
Paul Gale
1up.com

Didn't you all know? Having a murder-simulating Playstation in your house is the same as having a lethal weapon. This cop was protecting himself from a rocket-launcher barrage.

Somebody call Jack Thompson!

Why must one choose someone to defend or attack? Ignoring those who have been outrageously glib about this tragic accident (which is hopefully what it was), it seems that a large portion of this country loves to "judge," "defend," etc., others who have done them no wrong. Why call for this man's death? He didn't kill your relative. Likewise, why should one defend him? Most of the comments I've read here, if not all, contain wild speculation and knee-jerk attempts to damn or redeem the police officer based solely in the general report and not on any investigation beyond what comes over the AP wire.

I don't know if it was the officer's fault. Maybe it was. Perhaps the dog attacked him, or the man appeared to be armed. Or it could be that he neglected to keep the safety activated on his weapon; there was a struggle for the gun; the man picked up a blunt object and swung it; the man tried to run and the officer overreacted; and on, and on, and on. There are a thousand things that could have gone wrong in this situation, and it seems rather presumptive and naive to proceed on any assumption not derived from "hard, ascertainable fact."

But that's not fun, is it? No, we'd rather play executioner, or at the very least be able to read the newspaper and then, with our remote controls or computer keyboards, cast our vote in a three-hundred-million-strong jury to condemn a police officer, or the man who died, for something in favor of or against which we have not sat and heard evidence.

Earlier, a comment said "only in America." I don't know if this accident would have happened anywhere else, but it's beginning to seem that this conversation at least is very American. How embarrassing.

If he didn't even steal the systems...Man. This cop is freaking retarded.

Right Josh, exactly right...

I mean that morning, that cop woke up and loaded 8 guns Rambo style, then went to work as a retarded cop who loves to shoot people. He goes into the police station, a station that lacks the recognition of retarded behavior and retarded people, and has a chat with his fellow officers that don't know he has major cognitive deficits. Later he reads some reports, and since he is a retarded cop, he doesn't know how to correctly read reports, and figured the kid and his dog committed the most heinous crime imaginable and were the most dangerous duo alive. So this retarded cop busts in the house Rambo style while the innocent child tends to his dog whose health is ailing and needs constant care. Showing no mercy to the two criminals he shoots them both down. He thinks he is a hero...because as you put it Josh, he is retarded.

Fact A. The kid maliciously stole 2 PS3 consoles.
Deduction A. This was not a nice kid.

Fact B. Police officers have one of the most dangerous jobs in America and are often killed in the line of duty.
Deduction B. Police officers must treat every suspect they encounter with extreme caution, if not, see the latter half of fact A.

Fact C. The cop defended himself with deadly results, probably not accidental.
Deduction C. The cop was spooked enough by the actions of the suspect and the dog to warrant deadly force.

Fact D. The end result of this tragedy has nothing to do with whether or not the punishment fit the crime--the police officer did not think to himself "I am going to punish this scum bag!"
Deduction D. Shit happens. The cop's career may now be over, and the 18 y/o and his dog are now dead.

From a recent Sony PS3 ad:

"It's already devising new ways to kill you."

"The Play.Station.3 system can perform nearly two trillion calculations per second. And its Cell Broadband Engine, with its one Central Processing Unit (CPU) plus 8 Synergistic Processing Units (SPU), is capable of processing a multitude of tasks in parallel. The result of all that digital horsepower? AI becomes smarter. Everything becomes more real. And your untimely demise becomes that much more believable."

May I ask, where the hell did you get Fact C? If new info was released I understand but if it wasn't you're only speculating. Maybe the cop had a bad day and shot the kid? Unlikely, but we don't know.
Oh and I have to agree 100% with exeters post. Give him a star will ya?

Oh I forget Fact A. How can you deduce that he wasn't a nice kid? Maybe his mother needed a surgery which they couldn't afford so he stole what he knew was easy to steal and good money. World isn't black and white you know.

"World isn't black and white you know."

Maybe not always but criminals are...

Here's some facts:
Criminals ALWAYS suck--no excuses, no exceptions
Cops SOMETIMES suck

I'll take the better odds on this one. Oh, and the previous poster that mentioned how only real criminals truly hate cops is spot on. Think about it.

Oh, and in other news--bye bye Sony, let us know how Sega's gutter smells... Project Midway indeed...

OK folks, here is today's news article on the situation so you can form your own opinions.





2nd suspect was considered dangerous

By Ken Little
Staff Writer
ken.little@starnewsonline.com



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.

Information contained in a search warrant carried out Friday night that culminated in the shooting death of 18-year-old Peyton Strickland shows authorities knew about the presence of weapons inside the house at 533 Long Leaf Acres Drive.

University of North Carolina Wilmington police and members of the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Response Team entered the one-story home occupied by Strickland and three other men. Ryan Mills, 20, of 4500 Crawdad Court, a UNCW student, also was sought. He did not live at the house and wasn’t taken into custody there. He is charged with robbery with a dangerous weapon, assault with a deadly weapon and breaking and entering a motor vehicle.

Armed on Internet

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.

Police sought the Cape Fear Community College student and Mills for questioning in connection with the robbery of UNCW freshman Justin Raines in a campus parking lot. Raines had waited in line for about three days to be one of the first people to purchase a PlayStation 3 unit at the Sigmon Road Wal-Mart. He was struck on the head with a blunt object and robbed of two of the game systems, worth $1,282, according to Mills’ arrest warrant.

UNCW police received an anonymous tip about the suspects’ identities after local media outlets aired surveillance video from the Wal-Mart parking lot. Searches were authorized for the Long Leaf Acres Drive property and several vehicles, including Mills’ 1996 Toyota Celica, which police had seen parked at the address.

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.

Strickland, who was not armed, died along with his pet German shepherd, Blaze. Investigators recovered 13 shell casings and bullet fragments from the home. Rhoton said there were three unloaded guns in Strickland’s room, including a hunting rifle and two shotguns.

No ‘rush to judgment’

District Attorney Ben David cautioned the public Monday not to jump to conclusions about Strickland’s death.

He would not say much else about the case.

Preliminary findings from an autopsy conducted Saturday on Strickland by Charles L. Garrett of the N.C. Medical Examiner’s Office in Jacksonville show Strickland died of a bullet wound to the head. The Durham native was struck by two bullets – in the head and chest – said Dennis B. Nicks, New Hanover County medical examiner.

David said the State Bureau of Investigation and N.C. Attorney Generals Office are assisting.

“I call for calm in this community while we are working hard on this,” David said. “Sometimes the wheels of justice grind slowly, but it’s important we not rush to judgment in this case.”

David said the investigation will not be conducted any differently because deputies are involved. “We are going to be thorough, and we are going to be fair to everyone,” he said.

David said his office wouldn’t release further information about the investigation until Monday.

Sheriff Sid Causey acknowledged that names of the deputies involved in the shooting should be released as a matter of public record. He declined to do so, citing concerns about their safety. The deputies are on paid leave pending the completion of investigations by the SBI and sheriff’s office.

Chief Deputy Tom Parker said Monday that the internal investigation could take “a couple weeks, easily,” but added it should be finished by the end of the year.

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.

A review of facts

The SBI’s involvement in a police shooting does not assign fault, said Noelle Talley, spokeswoman for the N.C. Department of Justice. Agents will decide whether to drop the matter or press criminal charges, she said.

District attorneys in North Carolina have charged law enforcement officers following similar investigations, Talley said.

In a telephone interview Monday, Raleigh attorney Robert Zay-

toun, a longtime friend of the Strickland family, pushed for a thorough, independent review of the shooting.

A trial lawyer and former prosecutor, Zaytoun said emergency response teams have well-defined procedures about entering homes and drawing and discharging weapons. From what he’s read in newspapers, he said, it seemed “incomprehensible” that Strickland was dead.

“There’s got to be a clear, unequivocal, legal justification, and if it’s not, then this is a homicide,” Zaytoun said.

He said law enforcement personnel can overreact like anyone else.

“Peyton is an 18-year-old kid,” Zaytoun said. “They’re trained law enforcement people carrying firearms.”

Don and Kathy Strickland will not publicly discuss what they might know about the shooting of their son until at least after the funeral, family spokesman Don Beskind said.

Peyton Strickland’s memorial service is scheduled for 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Durham, according to The News & Observer of Raleigh.

“That doesn’t necessarily mean that they’ll be saying anything at all,” said Beskind, an attorney and law partner of Don Strickland. “Right now, it’s about being with family.”

Beskind did confirm that a meeting is set for today between the Stricklands and District Attorney Ben David.

Staff writers Patrick Gannon, Veronica Gonzalez and Mark Schreiner contributed to this report.

Ok first the home was lit cuz some one was home the kid had a blut object to get the ps3 so obviously he COULD NOT get a gun so the cop was a moron for shoting first asking questions later the dog... whell that sux ass but the dog might have attacked the cop BUT wouldnt that be in the head lines? or atleast in one of the articles? i love how the whole oopse i checked the murder charge on accident bull shit happened... yhea cuz its your job to convict people so... does he make that "accident" happen a lot? think about it he should have been fired for sayiing oopsie i almost put you in jail for life... sorry SERIOUSLY WTF?!!! i seriously think this has dirt all over it... and they will not convict him and would not have in the first place... hes a cop u know how many connections he has? seriously... it wont ever be a fair trial for that teen not in this world... if it was the other way around things would have been very different... corupt thats all it is corruption... i dont know what happened but all the articles ive read dont give all the important information... any one elce find that suspicious?