WILMINGTON, N.C. - A teenager accused of robbing a student of two new Playstation 3s on the day the popular game consoles were introduced was shot to death by police sent to arrest him.
Peyton Strickland, 18, was killed Friday at a house he shared with three roommates, New Hanover County Sheriff Sid Causey said.
“If this boy would’ve come to the door, opened the door, we probably wouldn’t be talking,” the sheriff said Sunday. Story continues below ↓ advertisement
Roommate Mike Rhoton said Strickland was unarmed, but may have been holding a video game controller when he went to the door as it was bashed in by officers.
Authorities promised Monday to fully investigate the fatal shooting. “No one is above the law and no one is beneath its protection,” District Attorney Ben David said. He declined to discuss details of the case.
The State Bureau of Investigation is examining the case and three deputies on the team were placed on paid leave, normal practice whenever officers fire their weapons, Causey said.
Arrest warrants alleged that Strickland, a student at Cape Fear Community College, and a University of North Carolina-Wilmington student stole two PlayStation units from another UNC-Wilmington student that day.
The sheriff said the robbery victim had waited three days in line to buy two Playstation 3 units for $641 each at a Wal-Mart. He was unloading the units at his campus apartment when one man beat him to the ground while another took the PlayStations, Causey said.
The sheriff said Strickland was shot by members of a a special police unit who went to help university officers serve warrants. He would not say why the special team was assisting.
Strickland’s dog, a German shepherd, also was shot to death.
The second man named in the warrants was arrested at another address and was released on bail on Saturday, authorities said.
The nationwide introduction of the Sony game system on Nov. 17 was marked by rowdy crowds and store stampedes. One buyer waiting in line at a Connecticut store was shot by armed robbers.
Well if the dog was attacking them, I can see a little bit of reason as why to shoot the dog. But they could have used something less than a gun shot to diminish the threat that the dog posed. If the dog was just sniffing its own butt in the corner and they shot him, that's just messed up
deerayfan072 wrote:Why did the shoot the kid, b/c he was holding a controller and didn't answer the door? Should be interesting investigation.
They most likely shot him because they mistook the controller for a firearm.
Think of this scenario: They knock on the door, state that they are the police, nobody answers. They kick down the door, and the suspect jumps up, with the controller still in his hand. Seeing a black object in the hand of the suspect, they react instantly, and fire. Afterwards, they discover that the object was merely a controller, and thus the DA launches an investigation.
"It's soooo worth it man...<gasp>...put me on the couch with a controller in my hand and let me go....<gasp>....Tell the tombraider chick I love her...... <gasp...>."
Omaha Red Sox wrote:"It's soooo worth it man...<gasp>...put me on the couch with a controller in my hand and let me go....<gasp>....Tell the tombraider chick I love her...... <gasp...>."
The moral of the story... DON'T ROB PEOPLE!!! Oh, and when the police knock on your door, OPEN IT!!!
With that being said, it definitely appears as if the trigger happy cop should not be on the street anymore. I'm not sure how any justification can be made for shooting an unarmed kid in his living room. Maybe it was dark or something? Maybe he sicked the dog on the cops? I guess we'll have to wait for more info.
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by bobbing_headz » Mon Dec 04, 2006 7:21 pm 
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