Police kill suspected PS3 thief

North Carolina man fatally shot by sheriff's deputies serving a warrant in case of two stolen game systems.

Eighteen-year-old Peyton Strickland of Wilmington, North Carolina, accused of robbing a student of two Playstation 3 consoles at the system's launch, died Friday after being shot by police intending to search his home and arrest him. Another man, a 20-year-old student at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, was arrested Friday in connection with the robbery, according to a Wilmington Star News.

The victim of the theft was another student who had waited in line for three days to buy the two consoles at a local Wal-Mart. While transporting the consoles, four men drove up in a gold Pontiac, battered him with a blunt object, and took the hardware by force.

The police went to Strickland's apartment on Friday evening intending to serve a search warrant and arrest him. One of Strickland's three roommates, Mike Rhoton, told the Star-News that the student was killed while walking to answer a knock at the door. The roomate also claimed that Strickland was unarmed, and that he could see no reason why the police opened fire. Strickland's German shepherd was also shot and killed by a deputy. The sheriff's deputies had been called in to help the University police serve the warrants because of safety concerns.

County District Attorney Ben David said that an investigation had been launched and the conduct of all officers and deputies invloved was being reviewed. "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," said David.

A series of crimes has dogged the high-profile launch of the PS3 in the US, including a robbery at a California GameStop store, a shooting of a man standing in a line outside a Wal-Mart in Connecticut, and muggings near a Circuit City in Oregon. Similar crimes were reported when the Xbox 360 went on sale in 2005.

615 Comments

  • GravityDs

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 9:08 am PT

    the world is going down the tubes. im only 20 and i already think the future is doomed for some of us. Like Carlin said "We average a major war every 20 years." I think we get more and more violent and out of control everyday. Between f**ked up movies and bloody gore-filled games, we're bound to act out what we see eventually (not saying games and movies are what started violence but they do help). So what im going to do to keep me happy is, puff on the "J" and play some cool RPG's that inspire imagination and thought, and maybe read some RA Salvatore books while im at it. Now everyone go do something that makes them happy. -Peace

  • frogman666

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 8:56 am PT

    I think its a valued lesson he robbed 2 people at gunpoint broke one mans jaw with the gun handle so I say its well deserving for him to get his own now if we had more strict gun laws maybe it would have turned out differently

  • noelveiga

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 8:50 am PT

    Terrible news. If the guy was indeed unarmed there's no reason why the cops should even have their guns in their hands. We see it all the time on American movies (I'm Eurotrash, thanks), and I never really understood why they do it like that. American cops are paranoid, they have that policy of "shoot first ask later" that leads to killing unarmed people or people reaching for their wallet or mobile phone.

  • Abegao

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 8:46 am PT

    Why do people do this???i didnt know him, but no1 deserves to die like this...It´s a freaking world the one where we live in

  • Lordofultima

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 8:46 am PT

    Ridiculous. Nothing is going to happen to that police officer, I mean putting the dumb kid in jail would have been enough. He would have learned a life lesson. But sentencing him to death? That is a power that no one should wield. He wasn't even armed, and he shot his dog too? Man I hate this country.

  • cjcr_alexandru

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 8:29 am PT

    This is sad. Why did they kill him? Ok, he stole a PS3 (probably), but that's not a reason to kill a man. Sad.

  • Yan1978

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 7:54 am PT

    They probably didn't know about the PS3 theft and only saw the gold Pontiac in the driveway... thought they were doing him a favor by putting him out of his misery.

  • Autolycus

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 7:48 am PT

    yeah i dont feel bad that he got shot. I feel bad for the dog and the cop that thinks he can just shoot anyone at will. NOBODY has the decission to determine who lives and who dies....

  • Cra2y

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 7:46 am PT

    I wouldve done eveything I could to kill one of them if they tried robbing me. Wouldve went for the "nose in the brain". Use palm of your hand, and shove their nose into their brain. I dont feel the least bit for the dude that got shot. Maybe his friends learned their lesson. And hopefully the mugged guy got his PS3's back.

  • Autolycus

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 7:35 am PT

    ckin-
    Maybe they should start looking to ban violent games not for the kids but for the police and their brutality. Who does it affect more? A kid or a police with a trigger happy finger who thinks he is robocop?

    Yea it's the games fault. Not the retarded policemen who shoot everything that moves. I hope they put those cops away for life.
    ------



    He'll get suspended with pay and here in milwaukee(where two officers beat the snot out of some black guy) they made 85k a year on their suspension.... that happened for 3 years until the courts finally said they dont deserve anymore money. However they got to keep the 215k... cops are corrupt and dangerous, so lets give them all guns... oh wait

  • Cloud737

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 7:14 am PT

    WTF? Even if he had stolen the console, I still wouldn`t think killing him is ok. Slap him in jail, maybe, but do not shoot him.

  • maestro78

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 7:08 am PT

    Wow, they killed his dog too? That sucks.

  • darklight86

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 7:05 am PT

    Anyone involved in a violent theft deserves to be shot and killed. Apart from the victim of course.

  • Boaandli

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 6:49 am PT

    A person's life is cheaper than a PS3...

  • FriendOfFoe

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 6:44 am PT

    Let me get this straight, they knocked at the door and then broke in before the kid could answer...What are the chances that the kid in question may actually be close to the door when it was bashed. Then because he's right there they shoot him.

    I mean, come on the guy may have stolen a console (still innocent until proven guilty), but he certainly did not deserve death...what if one of the innocent roommates had answered the door.

  • Roland1988

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 6:39 am PT

    LMAO i live 45 mins away from willmington and i thought it was a joke i heard that on the radio i guess not i got my ps3 and if it got stolen well whatever i probley wound not even care if the dude that stole it got shot in the process oh yea they said that the dude that got shot had the wireless ps3 controler in his hand thats why they shot him... thats what i heard on the radio

  • TheDudeAbides2

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 6:32 am PT

    LOL thats what you get guys....called karma! btw its ironic he would die because of the very thing he had stolen and was holding was mistaken for a weapon LOL!!

  • dholmes19

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 6:30 am PT

    maybe the police have been playing a little too much GTA?

  • Witchsight

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 6:17 am PT

    From CNN;

    "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."

    Died with a controller in his hand. They probably thought it was a gun. Death by Sixaxis

  • Elite_Jounin

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 6:14 am PT

    Thats just sad, it's only a game console.(even though they probably just wanted it for e-bay)

  • theKSMM

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 6:14 am PT

    Personally, I think waiting three days to spend over $600 for an ass-beating is too much. You can easily get your ass beat for free most places. It certainly isn't worth getting shot and killed over.

    Still, I'm sure that won't stop the cycle from repeating itself in another five or six years.

  • EikoAtoride

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 6:02 am PT

    Safety reasons? To call fire-armed men for someone that knocked someone out with a club or similar... Maybe the dog jumped at the one that shot of his owner...

  • EddyPee

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 5:49 am PT

    The cops must have been afraid that he had been affected by GTA and shot him before he shot them.

  • brianpoetzel

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 5:38 am PT

    Just another reason to avoid console launches.

  • waleedarshad

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 4:57 am PT

    meh, u do the crime u die

  • shizwill03

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 4:50 am PT

    What the hell?

    The dog too?

    That sounds very wrong. He should have not been killed, but he should also have not stole it either.

  • joshaka

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 4:16 am PT

    im glad i live in the uk talk about police burtality

  • rohver

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 4:09 am PT

    the cops should have not fired. They should be out away in jail

  • ckin-

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 3:47 am PT

    Maybe they should start looking to ban violent games not for the kids but for the police and their brutality. Who does it affect more? A kid or a police with a trigger happy finger who thinks he is robocop?

    Yea it's the games fault. Not the retarded policemen who shoot everything that moves. I hope they put those cops away for life.

  • sugreev2005-06

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 3:40 am PT

    What's wrong with America ???

  • tbp_linx

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 3:09 am PT

    Why do ppl accuse M$ and Sony for the crimes? Its the freakin ppl's fault not the damn companies who make the consoles.

  • Sam_Lowery

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 3:00 am PT

    "RobXIII - why the hell is this gamespot news??"

    Well the theft was news and so is the aftermath of what happened to the people involved. Would you preferr they DON"T follow up on a story?

  • skullcrusher_ad

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 2:57 am PT

    I wonder if all this stupidity will happen as it's released in the UK.

  • azizalbaker

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 2:37 am PT

    thats insane

  • RobXIII

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 2:25 am PT

    As an Irish person, the idea that an unarmed person who hasn't killed anyone could be shot dead in such an off-hand manner is actually bafflingly worng. And why the hell is this gamespot news??

  • final33

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 2:23 am PT

    stealing is wrong and i don't think it will cost his life for a system

  • anamnawshad

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 1:26 am PT

    Damn! this is #$%^ed up......
    Who is responsible? the Police? stupid mugger? $ony? M$?

  • mk_2

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 1:00 am PT

    I have no sympathy for that guy. He, himself, also showed no sympathy to others. He beat a guy up to get a PS3. That alone might not make him deserved to die but this shows the consequence you will get when you commit a crime. He should not stole that PS3 in the first place. I personally feel sorry for the dog, though. He's innocent, isn't he.

  • mraj21

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 12:59 am PT

    This news story took place about 10 min from my house. When I heard that people where getting attack over PS3 I never relized how close it would actual come to my doorstep. I don't think it was right form him to steal the PS3 but to get shot and lose his life over it.....it was not worth that. No console is worth getting shot over. The worst part is he was probaly some ebay seller tring to get some extra cash but..... this is the kinda news that makes all these goverment people want to muck around with the games we play. I don't think justice was served in this case. Now we have yet another news story fuel these game activist. Its a sad commentary on our times indeed.

  • ZippyDSMLee

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 12:58 am PT

    Alot of people I know bought one to resell it at a higher price and you can get 700-14000 off it 0-o

    *shakes head*

    This is what you get when you do not finish a system and launch it with enough consoles to meet demand or at least 60% of it......

    The 360 was to much and it had a horrid launch the PS3 has had a luke warm launch and only time will tell if the hardware is bad or not,you have to be rich or insane to put 600 down on it.

    BTW don't mine the whining mindless masses here after awhile you learn to ignore them.

  • jpridgen0

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 12:34 am PT

    wow. i cant believe that people are actually saying that this guy diserved to get shot and killed for stealing a ps3. comments like "im glad they shot him and his dog to death" and "thats what he gets". . . what the hell? someone diserves to loose his life for stealing a 600 dollar piece of merchandise?? wow. . .

  • bluezclue

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 12:13 am PT

    funny how some ignorant kids think its funny that someone died over a ps3.... or atleast it lead to his death....not everything is known...but if he was in fact unarmed... beating someone up and taking up to 600 bucks in merchandise does not get balanced by his death... yea he is a dickhead for doing it... but the dude he beat up is still breathing right....as for those protecting the cops... they arent perfect... for all you know they could have even gone to the wrong house... and dont say thats ridiculous because it has happened before and they have killed innocent people as a result... nothing is known... but if it stay as unarmed/death thats not right no matter how you swing it... if it were a life for a life then hey, karma is a b1tch, too bad for some people a ps3 is their life....so they post stupid sh1t

  • jimmy-fly

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 12:06 am PT

    thats what u get for stealing something as holy as a game console

  • ApeEscapeExpert

    Posted Dec 4, 2006 11:16 pm PT

    Wow, someone must be mad about the PS3 prices. That poor dog.....sry, I just love dogs!

  • Comingcurse

    Posted Dec 4, 2006 11:02 pm PT

    We lost another fine upstanding young model citizen. I am sure his contributions to society will be sorely missed. Oh well. (please read with cynical sarcastic tone)

  • snakenamedjoe

    Posted Dec 4, 2006 10:58 pm PT

    This is all happening because of the improperly raised prices of game systems by Sony and Microsoft. Nintendo kept their prices reasonable and you haven't seen any crimes resulting in the launch of the Wii, even though they all sold out and there are millions of people trying to get their hands on the systems. Sony and Microsoft have raised the bar too high on the technological development of next gen game systems.

  • Mikey_Jones

    Posted Dec 4, 2006 10:32 pm PT

    Wow. Everyone needs to calm down. Nobody knows all the facts yet, so all we can do at this point is make assumptions, which apparently is only making people angry at each other. People need to STOP stereotyping cops and roomates and people waiting in line and each other.

    Just take a long calm breath. Someone was suspected of a crime, and when the police went to investigate, the suspect ended up getting shot and killed. That's all we know so stop pretending that what happened here is crystal clear!

  • cmontyx49

    Posted Dec 4, 2006 10:27 pm PT

    So yeah, that is mature reasoning. He stole a 600 dollar piece of plastic, so he and his dog now must die.....

    Tje officers were way out of line shooting anyone un armed. they don't even fire upon murderers unless they see a weapon.

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