Police officer responding to home invasion shoots homeowner

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — A sheriff's deputy responding to a home invasion shot the homeowner in the neck Thursday because he refused to drop his gun, authorities said.

Two deputies from the Charleston County Sheriff's Office encountered the man at the rear of his mobile home in Hollywood, South Carolina, after two other men fled on bicycles, Sheriff's Maj. Eric Watson said in a news release.

The man was either leaving or standing at the back door of the house and was armed, Watson said. One of the two deputies shot him after he refused to drop his gun, he said.

After he was shot and had been placed in an ambulance, the man told police that he had exchanged gunfire with the two men who fled on bicycles. By Thursday afternoon, police had arrested one of them, identified as Thomas Zachary Brown, 22. Brown was charged with first-degree burglary and attempted murder in connection with the home invasion. Watson said as far as he knew, Brown had not been injured.

FULL story at link.



Yellow crime tape blocks off a home, center, on Scott White Road in Hollywood, S.C., where a Charleston County sheriff\'s deputy shot and wounded a resident Thursday May 7, 2015 after a call about a home invasion. Authorities say a sheriff\'s deputy responding to a home invasion shot the homeowner in the neck after he refused to drop his weapon. (Christina Elmore/The Post and Courier via AP) LOCAL TELEVISION OUT; LOCAL PRINT OUT; THE STATE OUT

Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/9696bb6323b94705a993758684f835d2/police-officer-responding-home-invasion-shoots-homeowner

[enough]

1. It's great how everybody having guns makes everything better for everyone. (nt)

[OldRedneck]

2. The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun . . .

. . . I forget the rest.

[downhome]

3. welllllllll

In this case the good guy with the gun (the home owner) DID stop the bad guys with guns (the thieves). After he shot at them... they left.

The only problem here is that the good guy (the home owner ) became Stupid Guy when he didn't put down the gun when told to by police.


All in all still a better outcome than if ONLY the bad guys had guns. Homeowner would likely be dead now if that were the case.

[greyl]

7. Is there evidence to back up that story yet?

From the OP article, the "because he didn't drop his gun" story seems to only be coming from Sheriff's Maj. Eric Watson's news release.
I hope the dashboard cam got good audio.

[MrModerate]

4. Along with physical and psychological fitness . . .

And training and snazzy equipment, does anyone check these Barney Fifes for common sense?

[MrModerate]

8. Common sense tells me that the victim of a home invasion . . .

Is terrified and irrational and might not believe I'm a cop.

Common sense tells me that backing off might be a sensible alternative to shooting the guy.

Common sense tells me that police shoot first and ask questions later waaaay too often.

[uppityperson]

11. Do you mean like Tamir Rice? Or Walter Scott?

They are supposed to release car cam vids today but somehow the cops weren't wearing body cams.

[peacebird]

9. Do we have proof the cops told him to drop the weapon before they started shooting?

I mean, he is black, and cops seem to say whatever is needed after the fact to make it sound good.

[SwankyXomb]

5. Shoot the homeowner, but he survives

That's some mediocre murderkop right there, boys.

[Judi Lynn]

12. Officials release statement of black man shot by deputy

May 8, 4:16 PM EDT

Officials release statement of black man shot by deputy

By BRUCE SMITH
Associated Press

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) -- As a black South Carolina man was being rushed to the hospital after he was shot by a white sheriff's deputy, he told an investigator in a recorded interview that he should have dropped the gun that he had grabbed earlier to protect himself from intruders.

The recording was played Friday during a meeting between Charleston County Sheriff's officials and about a half dozen community leaders. News reporters also attended.

Bryan Heyward was shot in the neck Thursday after deputies responded to his call about a home invasion. Authorities have said Heyward came out his back door with a gun and was shot after a deputy ordered him to drop it. He sustained what officials called a life-threatening wound.

Two deputies involved in the incident have been suspended with pay.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OFFICER_SHOOTS_HOMEOWNER?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-05-08-16-16-03