I figured the first next-gen console to cause death would be a Wii.
But news came across the wires today that a man suspected in the theft of two PS3s was shot by police as they attempted to serve a warrant for his arrest.
Peyton Strickland, 18, a student at Cape Fear Community College and at University of North Carolina-Wilmington, was shot and killed on Friday by police who had been dispatched to his home in Wilmington, North Carolina.
Details are scarce, but according to Associated Press, police knocked on the door of the apartment Strickland shared with two roommates on Friday. According to reports, upon hearing someone at the door, Strickland, who was playing one of the consoles in question, paused his game of Tiger Woods Golf.
Unfortunately Strickland didn't hit pause fast enough and didn't put down the controller when he went to the door.
Police, who had been told that the situation was "high-risk," bashed through the door just as Wilmington got there and reportedly mistook the controller for a gun.
The unarmed Strickland was fatally shot, as was his German shepherd, who was also apparently involved in the altercation.
Strickland was suspected of being involved in the theft of two PS3 on November 17. The victim of that case said he was beaten and robbed of the consoles as he unloaded from his car after he'd stood in line for three days at a local Wal-Mart.
Two other men who are suspects in the case were taken into custody for the theft and were later released on bail.
This is a sad situation all around. I'm sure when Strickland decided to curl up on the couch to shoot a few holes on his potentially stolen PS3 he didn't figure that it would be one of the last acts he'd perform on this earth.
But it serves as a warning to all who get involved with criminal acts (assuming that his PS3 was indeed one of those that had been stolen). Crime -- even comparatively petty crime -- does not pay. It could potentially start you down a series of circumstances that may lead to situations like this.
An investigation by authorities has been promised, and it will be interesting to know how a Sixaxis controller could be mistaken for a weapon and whether Strickland was indeed the guy who beat up a fellow college student for a couple consoles.
[From Associated Press]
Edie, that is the damndest thing. Take a look at the forums. I posted this very article from Comcasts site. My views are there and I do myself find it interesting as to how they mistaked the game controller for a gun. Seriously, take a look. It's in Off-Topic.
He OSVG.
Didn't see it. Dont really have time to cover forums these days, what with editing and writing and talking 'n stuff.
But I'll check it out.
I can't help but feel the police should have had a little more discipline here. I mean, I can't say I wouldn't have done the same thing in their place, especially because they were warned it was a "high-risk" engagement, even so I have a hard time thinking he would have pointed the controller at them in any way resembling that of a firearm.
No knock (and knock while knocking down the door) have their place in law enforcement. This was not it. The para-military SWAT tactics make sense when going into a potential free fire zone that a crack house may be, or other such situation, but it's overused, and mis-used and if there is not enough QA involved to prevent tragic and fatal mistakes from occuring. I recall an elderly man who had a heart attack several years back during such a raid. He died because of a typo on the warrant caused police to raid the wrong house. Very recently a 92 year old woman was shot to death when police raided her house. In this case she fired at people charging into her house. A man is on death row for shooting a policeman who broke into his apartment thinking he was entering the back door to the neighboring apartment.
A no-knock raid on a suspected PS3 theif is ridiculous unless the police had information that would lead them to believe there was a serious danger involved. Today the police are saying that they had a tip that led them to believe that, though one wonders why they didn't wait for back up, or actually plan a raid with something approaching the competency of your average Rainbow Six gamer (especially the original PC title).
Kalroy
#gamerandy on irc.gamesurge.net
Port: 20609
Password: chapple
