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3 deputies on leave after shooting
Investigation continuing in death of suspect described by family as 'kind and gentle'
By Veronica Gonzalez
Staff Writer
veronica.gonzalez@starnewsonline.com
Three members of an elite unit of the New Hanover County Sheriff's Department are on paid leave after the fatal shooting of an 18-year-old suspected of stealing two PlayStation 3 video game systems, Sheriff Sid Causey said Sunday.
Whenever law enforcement officers fire their service weapons, it is standard procedure for them to be put on paid leave.
The heavily armed emergency response team - similar to a SWAT unit - was called in Friday to help the UNCW police serve warrants for the arrest of Peyton Brooks Strickland, who was facing charges of armed robbery, assault with a deadly weapon and breaking and entering.
Causey did not release the names of the deputies. He acknowledged that the information should be public record but said he was concerned for the deputies' safety.
Strickland's roommate, Mike Rhoton, said Saturday that the two were home alone at 533 Long Leaf Acres Drive playing video games when deputies opened fire on Strickland, who Rhoton said was unarmed, and his German shepherd Blaze, who was also killed.
But Causey indicated that officers and deputies had a reason to fear for their lives.
"If this boy would've come to the door - opened the door - we probably wouldn't be talking," he said.
The emergency response team typically is called to assist in incidents ranging from hostage situations to serving warrants when officers believe they're going into dangerous situations, Causey said.
The sheriff would not say what specifically prompted the need for the emergency response team to arrest Strickland or what transpired at Strickland's home Friday night because the State Bureau of Investigation is examining the incident.
"The plan was to get in the house, secure people and let UNCW (police) search," he said.
In Causey's four years as sheriff, he said, he couldn't recall another time when the UNCW police requested the emergency response team. But this case warranted it, he said.
Deputies were assisting the UNCW police to arrest Strickland on the charges and search the house he rented with three other roommates. They also arrested Ryan David Mills, a 20-year-old UNCW student, on the same charges, according to the university. Mills' address is listed at 4500 Crawdad Court, according to UNCW.
Mills was released from New Hanover County jail after posting a $30,000 secured bond Saturday morning.
A spokeswoman for the Strickland family, Joyce Fitzpatrick, said Sunday that Mills and Strickland were friends.
PlayStation 3 robbery
Strickland and Mills were charged in connection with an incident on Nov. 17, the day the new PlayStation 3 video game system was released. UNCW student Justin Raines had waited in line for about three days to be among the first to buy the console at Wal-Mart on Sigmon Road near the university. He purchased two for $641 apiece.
When Raines went to unload them from his car at his on-campus apartment complex, four men drove up in a gold Pontiac G6. One of them got out and hit Raines repeatedly with a six-inch blunt object, knocking him to the ground, while another man took the video game systems he had just bought.
"I think anytime that someone beats a person severely and commits an armed robbery, I certainly would consider him a risk and a danger," the sheriff said.
Causey said he couldn't disclose the other reasons law enforcement considered Strickland - the only son of well-known Raleigh lawyer Don Strickland - a high risk.
Rhoton, Strickland's roommate, has said deputies shot Strickland as he went to open the door. He said they broke down the door and shot his roommate in the living room.
Rhoton said a hunting rifle and two shotguns were in the house but were unloaded and in Strickland's room. He also said Strickland might have been holding a PlayStation controller in his hand when he approached the front door.
'Kind and gentle boy'
In a statement released Sunday, Strickland's parents, Kathy and Don Strickland, said their son "was a kind and gentle boy."
"He was generous, thoughtful and compassionate," the statement said. "He was deeply loved by us and adored by his two sisters and his extended family. … He had tremendous potential and was just coming into his own."
A memorial service for Strickland will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday at The Church of the Good Shepherd in Durham.
Strickland had no criminal record, but he was scheduled for a court hearing in January on a pending assault charge in Wilmington, said Donald Beskind, the law partner of Strickland's father and a friend. Beskind did not give details on the assault, but on Sunday said it was "the kind of thing that happens between two kids."
Next in investigation
When law enforcement officers or deputies fire their service weapon - regardless of whether it's a fatal shooting - they are immediately placed on paid leave.
The clothing, gear and weapons they had at the time of the shooting, along with items at the scene, are taken as evidence until an investigation is completed, Causey said. In this case, even the front door was taken as evidence.
The deputies involved in Friday's fatal shooting have been members of the sheriff's office for several years, the sheriff said.
Causey said that his office will conduct its own investigation into Friday's shooting and that he would release any findings as soon as the SBI concluded its part. "We're not going to sit on it for months," he said.
'High-risk entries'
The emergency response team is made up of six deputies who perform those duties full-time.
"A lot of people don't want to work for an (emergency response team)," Causey said. "It's dangerous. They get killed."
In addition, about 20 other deputies in the roughly 400-member department receive special training to serve on the team, he said.
When the team is called to an incident, as was the case on Friday night, they wear reinforced bullet-proof vests, Kevlar helmets and special goggles. They are armed with a .45-caliber service weapons and rifles, Causey said.
"Normally, the entrance team has a ballistics shield. It's Kevlar and it's maybe 5-foot high, bulletproof," Causey said, adding the shield includes a light to blind people. "They're led by Lt. Doug Price, who is an outstanding law enforcement officer and an outstanding person," he said.
The unit has existed since the 1970s, and many of the members have served in the military.
"All their entries are high-risk entries," Causey said, adding the tactical team knows the history of the people they're facing and whether they have weapons.
Investigation continuing in death of suspect described by family as 'kind and gentle'
By Veronica Gonzalez
Staff Writer
veronica.gonzalez@starnewsonline.com
Three members of an elite unit of the New Hanover County Sheriff's Department are on paid leave after the fatal shooting of an 18-year-old suspected of stealing two PlayStation 3 video game systems, Sheriff Sid Causey said Sunday.
Whenever law enforcement officers fire their service weapons, it is standard procedure for them to be put on paid leave.
The heavily armed emergency response team - similar to a SWAT unit - was called in Friday to help the UNCW police serve warrants for the arrest of Peyton Brooks Strickland, who was facing charges of armed robbery, assault with a deadly weapon and breaking and entering.
Causey did not release the names of the deputies. He acknowledged that the information should be public record but said he was concerned for the deputies' safety.
Strickland's roommate, Mike Rhoton, said Saturday that the two were home alone at 533 Long Leaf Acres Drive playing video games when deputies opened fire on Strickland, who Rhoton said was unarmed, and his German shepherd Blaze, who was also killed.
But Causey indicated that officers and deputies had a reason to fear for their lives.
"If this boy would've come to the door - opened the door - we probably wouldn't be talking," he said.
The emergency response team typically is called to assist in incidents ranging from hostage situations to serving warrants when officers believe they're going into dangerous situations, Causey said.
The sheriff would not say what specifically prompted the need for the emergency response team to arrest Strickland or what transpired at Strickland's home Friday night because the State Bureau of Investigation is examining the incident.
"The plan was to get in the house, secure people and let UNCW (police) search," he said.
In Causey's four years as sheriff, he said, he couldn't recall another time when the UNCW police requested the emergency response team. But this case warranted it, he said.
Deputies were assisting the UNCW police to arrest Strickland on the charges and search the house he rented with three other roommates. They also arrested Ryan David Mills, a 20-year-old UNCW student, on the same charges, according to the university. Mills' address is listed at 4500 Crawdad Court, according to UNCW.
Mills was released from New Hanover County jail after posting a $30,000 secured bond Saturday morning.
A spokeswoman for the Strickland family, Joyce Fitzpatrick, said Sunday that Mills and Strickland were friends.
PlayStation 3 robbery
Strickland and Mills were charged in connection with an incident on Nov. 17, the day the new PlayStation 3 video game system was released. UNCW student Justin Raines had waited in line for about three days to be among the first to buy the console at Wal-Mart on Sigmon Road near the university. He purchased two for $641 apiece.
When Raines went to unload them from his car at his on-campus apartment complex, four men drove up in a gold Pontiac G6. One of them got out and hit Raines repeatedly with a six-inch blunt object, knocking him to the ground, while another man took the video game systems he had just bought.
"I think anytime that someone beats a person severely and commits an armed robbery, I certainly would consider him a risk and a danger," the sheriff said.
Causey said he couldn't disclose the other reasons law enforcement considered Strickland - the only son of well-known Raleigh lawyer Don Strickland - a high risk.
Rhoton, Strickland's roommate, has said deputies shot Strickland as he went to open the door. He said they broke down the door and shot his roommate in the living room.
Rhoton said a hunting rifle and two shotguns were in the house but were unloaded and in Strickland's room. He also said Strickland might have been holding a PlayStation controller in his hand when he approached the front door.
'Kind and gentle boy'
In a statement released Sunday, Strickland's parents, Kathy and Don Strickland, said their son "was a kind and gentle boy."
"He was generous, thoughtful and compassionate," the statement said. "He was deeply loved by us and adored by his two sisters and his extended family. … He had tremendous potential and was just coming into his own."
A memorial service for Strickland will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday at The Church of the Good Shepherd in Durham.
Strickland had no criminal record, but he was scheduled for a court hearing in January on a pending assault charge in Wilmington, said Donald Beskind, the law partner of Strickland's father and a friend. Beskind did not give details on the assault, but on Sunday said it was "the kind of thing that happens between two kids."
Next in investigation
When law enforcement officers or deputies fire their service weapon - regardless of whether it's a fatal shooting - they are immediately placed on paid leave.
The clothing, gear and weapons they had at the time of the shooting, along with items at the scene, are taken as evidence until an investigation is completed, Causey said. In this case, even the front door was taken as evidence.
The deputies involved in Friday's fatal shooting have been members of the sheriff's office for several years, the sheriff said.
Causey said that his office will conduct its own investigation into Friday's shooting and that he would release any findings as soon as the SBI concluded its part. "We're not going to sit on it for months," he said.
'High-risk entries'
The emergency response team is made up of six deputies who perform those duties full-time.
"A lot of people don't want to work for an (emergency response team)," Causey said. "It's dangerous. They get killed."
In addition, about 20 other deputies in the roughly 400-member department receive special training to serve on the team, he said.
When the team is called to an incident, as was the case on Friday night, they wear reinforced bullet-proof vests, Kevlar helmets and special goggles. They are armed with a .45-caliber service weapons and rifles, Causey said.
"Normally, the entrance team has a ballistics shield. It's Kevlar and it's maybe 5-foot high, bulletproof," Causey said, adding the shield includes a light to blind people. "They're led by Lt. Doug Price, who is an outstanding law enforcement officer and an outstanding person," he said.
The unit has existed since the 1970s, and many of the members have served in the military.
"All their entries are high-risk entries," Causey said, adding the tactical team knows the history of the people they're facing and whether they have weapons.
Deputy kills teen while serving warrant
New Hanover deputies were helping UNCW police make arrest in PlayStation theft case
By Veronica Gonzalez
Staff Writer
veronica.gonzalez@starnewsonline.com
A New Hanover County sheriff's deputy Friday shot and killed an 18-year-old man suspected in an armed robbery of two PlayStation 3 video systems, authorities said.
A puddle of blood on the hardwood floor of his living room left a harsh reminder Saturday of what took place, and family and friends expressed outrage.
The deputy shot Peyton Strickland about 8:45 p.m. Friday in the Long Leaf Acres house Strickland rented with three other young men, said his roommate, Mike Rhoton, who was home at the time. He said Strickland was unarmed.
UNCW police and sheriff's deputies were at the house on 533 Long Leaf Acres Drive to arrest Strickland and serve him a search warrant, according to the university. Strickland was one of two suspects in the armed robbery of a University of North Carolina Wilmington student that occurred Nov. 17.
Investigators were reviewing the conduct of all officers and deputies involved in the incident, said New Hanover County District Attorney Ben David, who confirmed at least one sheriff's deputy was involved in the shooting.
"I am making this my top priority," David said Saturday. "No one's above the law. If there's any criminal conduct that can be established, I'm not going to hesitate to treat them as any other defendant."
Neither he nor Sheriff Sid Causey would release any information on who was present at the time of the shooting or details about why or how it happened. The State Bureau of Investigation is assisting in the investigation, they said.
"It puts a cloud over everybody," Causey said. "Nobody wants things to happen, but they do happen. When they do, we have to investigate ... and then do the approriate thing."
Search for answers
Saturday at the one-story, brown rental house, Strickland's friends and roommates stopped by to grieve the death of the tall, thin welder who friends say wanted to start his own business and was attending Cape Fear Community College.
They also searched for answers.
"I don't understand why shots were fired," Rhoton said. "I've just been trying to figure out why they shot him."
What further shocked Strickland's friends and family was that a deputy also shot and killed Strickland's German shepherd named Blaze.
The dog's blood stained the front porch, and shards of glass from the front-door windows littered the area.
A light blue sheet hung in the door frame after investigators took the door away.
The robbery
UNCW Police planned to arrest Strickland on charges of armed robbery, assault with a deadly weapon and breaking and entering.
On Friday, officers arrested another suspect, UNCW student Ryan David Mills, on the same charges. The 20-year-old lives at 4500 Crawdad Court.
Two weeks after the robbery and after reviewing surveillance video from Wal-Mart, law enforcement officers got a break in the case that started Nov. 17.
That's the Friday when UNCW student Justin Raines was among the first at the Market Street Wal-Mart to buy two coveted PlayStation 3 consoles, released that day.
When Raines came home to the on-campus Seahawk Village apartments after midnight with the games he bought for $641 apiece, two white men in a gold Pontiac pulled up to Raines' car, struck him with a six-inch blunt object and stole his purchases, leaving him with bumps and bruises, UNCW police said.
Because of safety concerns, UNCW Police Chief David Donaldson requested the help of sheriff's deputies to serve the warrants on Strickland, according to a university news release.
Three unloaded guns were in the house - a hunting rifle and two shotguns - which were in Strickland's room, Rhoton said. And when Strickland answered the door, he may have been holding a PlayStation controller in his hand, he said.
Across the country, the release of the PlayStation 3 has sparked robberies, stampedes and other violent incidents.
Before the shooting
Neighbors said they long feared that something bad would happen at 533 Long Leaf Acres Drive - a home historically known for loud parties and noise.
"We even have this address on our refrigerator because we know where the noise is coming from," said Joan Kester, adding that the complaints in the past have revolved around loud music and kids on the roof yelling.
On Friday night, Rhoton said he and Strickland played a PlayStation video game while taking a break from cleaning the house they had moved into in August. Their other two roommates weren't home.
They were playing Tiger Woods PGA Tour when they heard a knock on the door.
Strickland, who sat on a couch closest to the front door, got up to answer, Rhoton said.
As Strickland approached the door, law enforcement officials knocked it down and "there was a bunch of yelling," he said.
"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.
"They never said why they were here, even when I left last night," said Rhoton, who attended Jordan High School with Strickland in Durham.
David assured that the District Attorney's Office would conduct a thorough investigation.
"There's nothing more important than assuring the community that officers are there to serve and protect," David said.
Welding wonders
Strickland's green, 1964 boat he rebuilt sat in the front lawn Saturday - sparking memories for his roommates and friends about how he had sunk a bunch of money into it to rebuild it.
Strickland was the youngest of three children and the only son of a well-known Raleigh-Durham-area lawyer Don Strickland.
Strickland's handiwork extended to almost anything fast - and on wheels. He loved working with metal, even making a chopper from scratch, said his friend Nick Kane.
"Not long before this ... happened, we were planning out an exhaust system for one of my four-wheelin' trucks," Rhoton said.
Strickland was like a brother to many of his friends, said friend Mike Bernard
"He was the best kid, talented, gifted, determined," he said.
New Hanover deputies were helping UNCW police make arrest in PlayStation theft case
By Veronica Gonzalez
Staff Writer
veronica.gonzalez@starnewsonline.com
A New Hanover County sheriff's deputy Friday shot and killed an 18-year-old man suspected in an armed robbery of two PlayStation 3 video systems, authorities said.
A puddle of blood on the hardwood floor of his living room left a harsh reminder Saturday of what took place, and family and friends expressed outrage.
The deputy shot Peyton Strickland about 8:45 p.m. Friday in the Long Leaf Acres house Strickland rented with three other young men, said his roommate, Mike Rhoton, who was home at the time. He said Strickland was unarmed.
UNCW police and sheriff's deputies were at the house on 533 Long Leaf Acres Drive to arrest Strickland and serve him a search warrant, according to the university. Strickland was one of two suspects in the armed robbery of a University of North Carolina Wilmington student that occurred Nov. 17.
Investigators were reviewing the conduct of all officers and deputies involved in the incident, said New Hanover County District Attorney Ben David, who confirmed at least one sheriff's deputy was involved in the shooting.
"I am making this my top priority," David said Saturday. "No one's above the law. If there's any criminal conduct that can be established, I'm not going to hesitate to treat them as any other defendant."
Neither he nor Sheriff Sid Causey would release any information on who was present at the time of the shooting or details about why or how it happened. The State Bureau of Investigation is assisting in the investigation, they said.
"It puts a cloud over everybody," Causey said. "Nobody wants things to happen, but they do happen. When they do, we have to investigate ... and then do the approriate thing."
Search for answers
Saturday at the one-story, brown rental house, Strickland's friends and roommates stopped by to grieve the death of the tall, thin welder who friends say wanted to start his own business and was attending Cape Fear Community College.
They also searched for answers.
"I don't understand why shots were fired," Rhoton said. "I've just been trying to figure out why they shot him."
What further shocked Strickland's friends and family was that a deputy also shot and killed Strickland's German shepherd named Blaze.
The dog's blood stained the front porch, and shards of glass from the front-door windows littered the area.
A light blue sheet hung in the door frame after investigators took the door away.
The robbery
UNCW Police planned to arrest Strickland on charges of armed robbery, assault with a deadly weapon and breaking and entering.
On Friday, officers arrested another suspect, UNCW student Ryan David Mills, on the same charges. The 20-year-old lives at 4500 Crawdad Court.
Two weeks after the robbery and after reviewing surveillance video from Wal-Mart, law enforcement officers got a break in the case that started Nov. 17.
That's the Friday when UNCW student Justin Raines was among the first at the Market Street Wal-Mart to buy two coveted PlayStation 3 consoles, released that day.
When Raines came home to the on-campus Seahawk Village apartments after midnight with the games he bought for $641 apiece, two white men in a gold Pontiac pulled up to Raines' car, struck him with a six-inch blunt object and stole his purchases, leaving him with bumps and bruises, UNCW police said.
Because of safety concerns, UNCW Police Chief David Donaldson requested the help of sheriff's deputies to serve the warrants on Strickland, according to a university news release.
Three unloaded guns were in the house - a hunting rifle and two shotguns - which were in Strickland's room, Rhoton said. And when Strickland answered the door, he may have been holding a PlayStation controller in his hand, he said.
Across the country, the release of the PlayStation 3 has sparked robberies, stampedes and other violent incidents.
Before the shooting
Neighbors said they long feared that something bad would happen at 533 Long Leaf Acres Drive - a home historically known for loud parties and noise.
"We even have this address on our refrigerator because we know where the noise is coming from," said Joan Kester, adding that the complaints in the past have revolved around loud music and kids on the roof yelling.
On Friday night, Rhoton said he and Strickland played a PlayStation video game while taking a break from cleaning the house they had moved into in August. Their other two roommates weren't home.
They were playing Tiger Woods PGA Tour when they heard a knock on the door.
Strickland, who sat on a couch closest to the front door, got up to answer, Rhoton said.
As Strickland approached the door, law enforcement officials knocked it down and "there was a bunch of yelling," he said.
"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.
"They never said why they were here, even when I left last night," said Rhoton, who attended Jordan High School with Strickland in Durham.
David assured that the District Attorney's Office would conduct a thorough investigation.
"There's nothing more important than assuring the community that officers are there to serve and protect," David said.
Welding wonders
Strickland's green, 1964 boat he rebuilt sat in the front lawn Saturday - sparking memories for his roommates and friends about how he had sunk a bunch of money into it to rebuild it.
Strickland was the youngest of three children and the only son of a well-known Raleigh-Durham-area lawyer Don Strickland.
Strickland's handiwork extended to almost anything fast - and on wheels. He loved working with metal, even making a chopper from scratch, said his friend Nick Kane.
"Not long before this ... happened, we were planning out an exhaust system for one of my four-wheelin' trucks," Rhoton said.
Strickland was like a brother to many of his friends, said friend Mike Bernard
"He was the best kid, talented, gifted, determined," he said.
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