Student Killed During Arrest in NC
Last Night in Little Rock wrote here and here about the unnecessary use of aggressive tactics to execute search warrants or make arrests -- tactics that needlessly kill innocent people. In a similar vein, deputies who raided an apartment in Wilmington, N.C., intending to arrest 18 year old Peyton Strickland for allegedly stealing two Playstation 3 video games, instead shot him to death. While the details are unclear, here's one account:
Peyton Strickland's 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.
The Sheriff has so far declined to answer a simple question: why were police using aggressive tactics over a simple theft of property? The Sheriff says Strickland was accused of using violence to take the Playstations, but apparently isn't claiming that Strickland was armed at the time or that he has a history of violent behavior.
The Sheriff also seems to blame Strickland for not answering the door promptly. For this he deserved to die?
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