peytonstrickland
Latest
Family of slain suspected PS3 thief to receive $2.45 million settlement
It's been more than a year since the accidental shooting of 18-year-old Peyton Strickland by Cpl. Christopher Long, a deputy of New Hanover County, N.C., during a raid of Strickland's rented home in early December, 2006. The sheriff's Emergency Response Team was serving a warrant for Strickland's arrest in connection with his suspected involvement in two PS3's being stolen from a University of North Carolina Wilmington student. Long mistook the sounds of his own team using a battering ram for gunshots, and opened fire on the unarmed teenager.Long was not charged with a crime, but the Strickland family recently received a small amount of closure on the matter -- a $2.45 million settlement from New Hanover County, and a public apology from Sheriff Sid Causey, who admitted that Long "made a mistake as to the existence of a deadly threat".The Strickland family will put the $2.45 million into a charitable foundation to provide need-based scholarships and other grants. "The Stricklands were not interested in money," said Strickland family representative Joyce Fitzpatrick. "That cannot bring their son back."
Murder charge dropped for PS3 suspect shooter, paperwork blamed
On Monday we heard that deputy Chris Long, who was blamed for the shooting death of Peyton Strickland while serving a search warrant over a suspected PS3 theft, had been dismissed from the New Hanover County Sheriff's Office, and that he was to go on trial for second degree murder. Turns out that the murder charges were due to a clerical error, and that the grand jury had in fact "made a substantial decision" not to charge Long with murder. At this time it's still unclear if this error will prevent prosecutors from refiling charges against Long, but it does cast a large shadow over this already murky case. According to Long's attorney, the deputy believed he was being fired upon as the police knocked down the door with a battering ram, and opened fire on the unarmed Strickland based on his law enforcement training. Other officers who were with Long claim to have not heard gunfire. The family of Peyton Strickland have asked for an investigation into the court errors.[Via Joystiq]
