Murder charges dropped against deputy who shot suspected PS3 thief
The correcting of a paperwork error has led to the dismissal of a second degree murder charge filed against New Hanover County Cpl. Christopher Long who was accused of shooting and killing an unarmed teen suspected of robbing two PlayStation 3 consoles. Apparently, the grand jury foreman checked the wrong box on the indictment form, mistakenly charging Long with murder.According to his attorney, Long "based his decision [to fire] on his law enforcement training," hitting the victim in the head and shoulder after he thought he heard gunfire as authorities broke through the door to the victim's home with a battering ram. District Attorney Ben David confirmed that the other officers involved did not report hearing shots fired prior to Long's attack.
[Thanks, CCx & devian]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
KaneRobot @ Dec 13th 2006 10:24AM
"A paperwork error has lead to the dismissal of a second degree murder charge"
Cue the Price is Right "fail" sound. Keep it up, law enforcement!
HotShotX @ Dec 13th 2006 10:29AM
How about seeing a gun in the victim's hand? Did the stupid prick of an officer see that?
~HotShotX
SuperStupid @ Dec 13th 2006 10:32AM
Oh look, someone got involved in crime and something bad happened to him. Did he deserve to die ? Certainly, absolutely not. But if you play with fire, you risk being burnt.....
crono141 @ Dec 13th 2006 10:38AM
I just submitted this also.
Anyway, your writeup is vague enough for people to get the wrong idea.
It was a paperwork error that CAUSED charges to be filed. The grand jury never intended for charges to go forward. They checked the wrong box by mistake, crossed it out, checked the right box, initialed it, but whoever was in charge of processing the paperwork didn't get it.
pete @ Dec 13th 2006 10:45AM
That is one wack article; first, it's LED, not LEAD. Second, you say charges were dropped, then you say that a paperwork mistake caused them to be filed - which is it? Learn to write, pal.
Iscariote @ Dec 13th 2006 10:46AM
Smoke marijuana and you're going to jail for a long time. Murder a college kid and his dog and get fired from your job.
America.
Derbeste @ Dec 13th 2006 10:46AM
Sooooooooo.....did the dog fire the "shots" he heard?
Martin @ Dec 13th 2006 10:48AM
Did the officer get the PS3...
gLitterbug @ Dec 13th 2006 10:53AM
No Derbeste, everyone knows dogs only use lasers.
Sly @ Dec 13th 2006 11:02AM
The guy writing the article has lead stuck in his mind, just like the victim's body.
Darc Requiem @ Dec 13th 2006 11:03AM
Police officers are trained to fire center mass. So why was this unarmed guy shot in the head and shoulder. I mean, I can understand the shoulder but the head is not center mass. Thats just going for a kill shot. As for his dog, unless his dog was Duke from the Bush's Baked Beans commercials...I doubt he was firing off rounds.
The milk man @ Dec 13th 2006 11:04AM
I would like to see anyone of you guys in that officer's position. It's easy to second guess and over analyze, but in reality that officer only had a few seconds to make the decision that he made. I don't know about you people but I would rather be judged by 12 then carried by 6.
Cat Meat @ Dec 13th 2006 11:11AM
so the milk man would rather murder someone than possibly get shot at by a kid without a gun. go human race, yeah.
john @ Dec 13th 2006 11:12AM
A paperwork error... Suuure
Some goody twoshoes filed the charges before he realized the shit storm that would come down on him. It turns out having a whole police dept pissed at you can give you a certain moral flexability. A paperwork error lets him save some face while dropping the charges.
Jadnice @ Dec 13th 2006 11:19AM
PS3 Kills.... enough said.
mietha CAG @ Dec 13th 2006 11:23AM
Boy, justice is served, as usual. Way to go, backwoodsville, USA. Gee, what message does this send...?
Liquid @ Dec 13th 2006 11:25AM
This story makes my stomach turn. This officer should be put away. I believe I read this is the second time in recent history this officer was involved in a shooting with unarmed persons.
@The milk man
Forget putting yourself in the officer's position. How about putting yourself in the parent's position? No justice. I wouldn't consider the "raid" a high-risk situation. The guy had no business being an officer.
Derbeste @ Dec 13th 2006 11:27AM
Milk man.....
There were THREE at the scene. Only ONE heard "shots". Only ONE fired. Only ONE killed an unarmed man and an apparently armed dog.
See? Two others WERE in his position and made a better decision.
You just don't like dogs cuz your a milk man. :P
Cry Havoc @ Dec 13th 2006 11:28AM
Wow. Nice to see all you internet police out there making our lives safer every day.
I'm no lover of cops by any stretch of the imagination, but you make it sound like a simple thing to break down a door and barge into a house full of unknowns, where the only thing you're sure of is that there is likely someone who broke the law on the other side. Someone who's capable of anything.
So, HotShotX, Iscariote, Derbeste, let's put the question on you. You bust into the house of a suspected criminal. It's dark, you don't know you're way around, and due to the adrenaline coursing through your veins, all ambient noise is amplified 10-fold. Are you going to look for a gun that you'll probably never see until the bullet is already lodged in your brain?
Yes? That's probably why you aren't a cop. I don't like cops, but to think you can extrapolate enough information about this circumstance to deem this man a murderer from reading these tiny news snippits is just ridiculous. It must be really nice in the land of videogames where you have a bright HUD light up whenever you see an enemy, but sadly real life is a lot less forgiving. This kid should have known that before he decided to become a thief.
Chocolate Starfish @ Dec 13th 2006 11:29AM
Darc has apparently never fired a handgun outside his computer monitor. Bullets from pistol fire, especially when fired under duress, have fairly limited accuracy.
polly @ Dec 13th 2006 11:30AM
"he thought he heard gunfire as authorities broke through the door"
I don't know how you can defend that officer's actions. Unless you're happy knowing you too could be justifiably killed by an officer while unarmed in your home because you were playing a loud video game or movie that has gunfire in it.
The guy was trigger happy. How they arrived at that door is irrelevant. Awesome police work.
Kimosabae @ Dec 13th 2006 11:32AM
Cat Meat, you're fucking idiot. The response to your sardonicism is a resounding, yes.
Maybe you enjoy reeling revolver chambers to govern your life expectancy, but smarter people in that split-second decisive moment would rather attempt to delegate the fate of their lives to gun in their own hands.
-Kye
thbhouse @ Dec 13th 2006 11:32AM
the milk man's right - the kid got pwned, end of story... maybe if he played a little more resistance online he'd still be with us today.
Bultie @ Dec 13th 2006 11:32AM
lol.. clishee that american cops shoot a bit early..... confirmed
Jason W @ Dec 13th 2006 11:33AM
Sounds like he saved the tax payers a life time of paying for this idiots jail term. Did he deserve to die? I wasnt there but you buck the cops and they buck back.
wrecked @ Dec 13th 2006 11:34AM
All I want to know is if the cop yelled "Headshot" after shooting the kid
Robert @ Dec 13th 2006 11:36AM
Wow, some of you need to learn how to read. Or think. Or a combination of both. I guess my main point is don't jump to conclusions based on what you think happened, or even what is reported to have happened. Things are never as clear as you might think.
John @ Dec 13th 2006 11:36AM
Point is the cop has had past history of this same thing
Cry Havoc @ Dec 13th 2006 11:36AM
Polly: Perhaps due to the fact that the suspect had taken part in an ARMED ROBBERY. Cops are not trained to only fire when fired upon. That would lead to a lot of dead officers.
You people make me sick. I'm glad -you're- not police, or the bad guys would laugh at you while pumping you full of holes as you attempt to achieve the objective of diplomacy for the stage completion. Life isn't about getting all 100 stars, gentlemen. It's hard. When you make an armed robbery, it tends to go badly for you if you're discovered.
Marcus Lam @ Dec 13th 2006 11:37AM
Wow, I have to say that this story is positively frightening. For suspected theft, a cop can force entry into your home and at the sound of a loud gun-shot like noise, he has the right to shoot you dead without first having seen a firearm. And because he was following his "training", there are no consequences.
The moral of this story is not to make any sounds when the cops break down your door. Because if you do, you are fair game. Does not matter if you have a gun or not.
If I was that police chief, the cop will be suspended, facing charges of manslaughter and upon certain conviction, terminated immediately. And if the officer should make a loud popping sound during these proceedings, he should be shot.
Don't get me wrong people, I am not supporting crime. I just think that if the perp was unarmed, he should not have been shot in his own home for WHATEVER reason during apprehension. Otherwise, the real menace here are the cops...
Darc Requiem @ Dec 13th 2006 11:37AM
"12. I would like to see anyone of you guys in that officer's position. It's easy to second guess and over analyze, but in reality that officer only had a few seconds to make the decision that he made. I don't know about you people but I would rather be judged by 12 then carried by 6.
Posted at 11:04AM on Dec 13th 2006 by The milk man * 0 stars"
After you go to prison for killing an unarmed suspect. I'm sure you'll wish you were carried by six. Unless you relish the idea of being the victim of organic enemas from some oversized convict named Bubba. Being a former cop in prisoned would probably get you passed around like a blunt at a Snoop Dogg concert. I'd rather be dead that deal with any of that, but thats just me I guess.
thbhouse @ Dec 13th 2006 11:38AM
oh and ps... kill the dog FTW!!!!!!111111 one one one
MosquitoControl @ Dec 13th 2006 11:39AM
So what did this teach us, mietha CAG?
If you're going to commit felonies, make certain your myspace doesn't have pictures of you holding automatic rifles. Cops tend to get a bit worked up thinking they may be entering a room with a guy and an M4.
hans @ Dec 13th 2006 11:42AM
all pigs must die.
WizarDru @ Dec 13th 2006 11:43AM
"Cue the Price is Right "fail" sound. Keep it up, law enforcement!"
LOL! Damn, man...I nearly did a spit-take there.
Cry Havoc @ Dec 13th 2006 11:44AM
"For suspected theft, a cop can force entry into your home and at the sound of a loud gun-shot like noise, he has the right to shoot you dead without first having seen a firearm."
How about you actually read the entire story?
The charge was NOT theft. It was ARMED ROBBERY. There is a huge, HUGE difference.
S @ Dec 13th 2006 11:55AM
disclaimer: wilmington resident, uncw spring 06 alumnus
bullets first went through door
kid unarmed
innocent until proven guilty
no weapons-related charges ever
had a lawyer who wasnt contacted re these charges
idiotic "special forces" team sent for no apparent reason other than to make themselves appear useful (they aren't)
raid conducted at night, increasing the probabilities of many seriously negative possibilities; no positives
didn't this just happen? do grand juries meet and decide shit like this so soon?
innocent until proven guilty (ah, the good old days)
Dragon Warrior @ Dec 13th 2006 11:56AM
Excessive force definition is using a battering ram to break down the door and open fire on a college student accused of petty theft. Nice going! How paper work error lets someone go for a murder charge is also hard to believe. Time to go buy a gun for protection from the cops.
crono141 @ Dec 13th 2006 11:57AM
I like how they didn't even bother knocking on the door to issue an arrest warrant. They just busted it down.
He was accused of armed robbery with a blunt object. Last time I checked, blunt objects aren't guns. The officer fired 2 shots, one landing in the head.
I can imagine the "gunshot" he heard was the door they busted open slamming into the wall.
I'm not gonna say all cops are bastards, just this one.
The milk man @ Dec 13th 2006 11:58AM
Let me enlighten some people in here. It takes more then just mere suspicion to get a search warrant on someone's door, meaning that the cops had good enough information that this was the guy they where looking for.(the ARMED robber) And unless you read the full police report, not just the information released by the media you have no idea what happened.
And the comment about the parents was laughable. Don't raise armed robbers and you won't have to worry about your kids getting killed by the police. Some of these people on this board probably felt sympathy for the Oklahoma city bomber.
Martin @ Dec 13th 2006 11:59AM
"12. I would like to see anyone of you guys in that officer's position. It's easy to second guess and over analyze, but in reality that officer only had a few seconds to make the decision that he made. I don't know about you people but I would rather be judged by 12 then carried by 6."
He only had a split second to realize if he left the victim alive, the PS3 would go into the evidence locker and not his kid...
Captain Obvious @ Dec 13th 2006 12:01PM
"6. Smoke marijuana and you're going to jail for a long time. Murder a college kid and his dog and get fired from your job.
America.
Posted at 10:46AM on Dec 13th 2006 by Iscariote"
In most states, small personal quantities of marijuana (i.e. one joint) is a cite release ticket. You pay a fine. No jail time. Possession with intent to distribute is where the big jail time comes into play.
And this wasn't murder. There was no premeditation.
Captain Obvious @ Dec 13th 2006 12:03PM
One more thing. You can't murder a dog. Sure, you can kill a dog, but no one can be convicted of murder for killing a dog.
James Lill @ Dec 13th 2006 12:05PM
One less thief in the world. I hope the kid got his PS3 back.
Captain Obvious @ Dec 13th 2006 12:08PM
@Marcus LAm
Police are unionized. The chief cannot just fire them at will.
AZ I BORICUA @ Dec 13th 2006 12:08PM
#43, just for you.
http://www.dailyrecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061206/UPDATES01/612060376
polly @ Dec 13th 2006 12:10PM
He was still a "suspect" Cry Havoc. The cop doesn't get to be judge, jury and executioner. And let's call it what it is: "armed robbery" = "beat up a guy with a blunt object and stole his PS3s." I'm glad you can obfuscate that into "perp with a gun" but it just ain't so. However you feel about the whole thing, an unarmed kid was killed in his home because a cop failed to recognize the severity of the situation. The officer DID do something wrong, even if you don't like the victim.
Captain Obvious @ Dec 13th 2006 12:11PM
@AZ I BORICUA
From your article:
"Formalizing charges originally filed against him on Oct. 6, a Morris County grand jury indicted Patrick M. O'Connor, 40, on charges of animal cruelty, possession of a knife and a baseball bat for an unlawful purpose, and unlawful possession of those weapons."
I don't see any charge for murder there.
Rihwin @ Dec 13th 2006 12:30PM
We're expected to beleive that the sound of a blunt battering ram hitting a door could be mistaken for the load exlosive discharge of a firearm? Seems pretty far fetched.
MosquitoControl @ Dec 13th 2006 12:30PM
S:
Why would his lawyer be contacted? He hadn't been arrested yet. He hadn't asked for a lawyer. He hadn't been mirandized. Do you think cops routinely call every lawyer in town and say "hey, listen, we're going to arrest this guy, is he your client? If so, let him know we're coming."
And special forces were sent because they had reason to believe this guy was heavily armed. As mentioned, he had pictures of himself and automatic weaponry posted online.
It's a shitty situation, but for public policy reasons we're better off giving leniency to the cops, so long as they were being reasonable. The purpose of our laws is to prevent crime. Allowing cops to reasonably shoot before being shot goes a long way to this.
It's worth reminding everyone that the Supreme Court has upheld this, several times.
And worth pointing out that the grand jury is a jury of the peers, they had more facts than we did, and they found this cop's actions reasonable.