Somehow the post I had thought eaten when my browser went where I hadn’t intended… reappeared after I had rewritten it. I failed to notice, so now there are two versions of basically the same post. The second one is better, and actually complete (and perhaps even worded a tad less harshly), and although one reader took it upon themselves to respond to that one, I’ve closed the mis-posted draft, but left it in place lest anyone thing I’ve gone soft.
I invite folks like Sarah to read the finished post, where I did go a little farther into the fact that I am providing SUPPOSITION to consider, I do not pretend to know the facts.
The Sarah, the cheeky little name-caller:
According to the articles I linked to and posted segments of, there were weapons in the house, and in fact, in Strickland’s room. The dog was a weapon. The young man was a violent offender. I wasn’t there. You weren’t there. You seem to think you know what happened. I have posted my version of what may have happened.
I acknowledge that the police probably could have handled things differently, and his crimes were not capital crimes. I acknowledge that he left behind people who probably think more of him than I do, and yes, I acknowledge that my opinion is based on his brief, violent criminal career.
I watched and listened as everyone leapt to defend what appeared to me to be a thug, while condemning the police officers before knowing the facts. I offered my opinion on how they could be wrong. I stand by my hypothesis and await the facts like everyone else. That’s why new hypotheses and theories are presented — to be disproved.
As always, I welcome comments, discussion, debate, and opinions… I can even deal with the name calling, but don’t expect me to be civil if you lead off your comment with a derogative.
edit: Just saw this, too… I’m still seeing a thug, despite his ability to convince family and friends otherwise.
Shooting links 4 N.C. students
The college boys claimed the only rental house on the street, and neighbors didn’t welcome their late-night parties, said Scott Keenan, who lives across Long Leaf Acres Drive.
More than once, Keenan said, he climbed out of bed in the early morning hours to tell the boys to turn down their rap music. Other nights, neighbors called police. “Everybody was sick of that house,” Keenan said. “The cops would come and break up a party, then we’d have to call them right back.”
Neighbors got quite a scare this fall, Keenan said, when Strickland warned them that a fistfight he’d won might provoke vengeance on their house. “He bragged about beating up some kid, then he told me there might be a shootout at the house,” Keenan recalled.
Strickland got into trouble with police in September after a UNCW student complained that Strickland popped his jaw during a fistfight, according to Wilmington Police reports. The victim, Nathan Harrington, 22, of Lee County, said Sunday that Strickland punched him in the face after he asked Strickland, a friend of a friend, to leave his apartment.
Doctors had to wire his mouth shut for six weeks, Harrington said. Strickland was arrested on a charge of assault inflicting serious injury; the case was still pending.
You are so wrong about this…but it’s your opinion and for now you can talk about how vicious and animal like Peyton was…he was not at all the person you are making him out to be….yes, he made mistakes but he doesn’t deserve to be talked about the way you are trashing him
One day, you may have a child who you will love and you will know what it’s like. He was is the middle of this -not the cause. Even so, the worst criminal alive deserves his day in court. An 18 yr dies because of a warrant needing to be served?
I hope you have the decency to post an update when the real truth comes out but I bet you won’t. You wouldn’t want to appear wishy washy on your stance. Peyton did not deserve to die. He deserved to learn from his mistakes.
He deserved to live.
thanks for reading
Sorry for the name calling. But just to be clear, here is a link that shows the search warrant inventory, you should take a look and note the fact that no guns were siezed….
http://www.wral.com/news/slideshows/10462572/detail.html
(If this link doesn’t work jsut go to wral.com, you can find it from there)
Oddly enough, Grace – I don’t disagree when you say that he didn’t deserve to die. He deserved (and apparently needed) to grow up. He deserved to learn that his actions have consequences, and since I haven’t a lot of faith in the hereafter, I don’t think his death served to teach that lesson. To others, perhaps, but not to him.
My opinion, if it’s not clear enough from my posts, is that the ongoing condemnation of the police in this matter may be entirely misplaced and wrong. The fault may indeed belong as much to the kid as to the cops.
I believe that the thug-in-question may have brought his death on himself. I believe that the police may indeed have overreacted, but that their actions could just as easily have been entirely predicated on the actions and history of PEYTON STICKLAND.
I’ll happily write on this topic again once the investigation is over and the reports are released. I have no problem with my theories being proven wrong, if that is indeed what the investigation shows.
Based on what I’ve read, I think the kid was a thug. I don’t think you’ll convince me otherwise by impugning my integrity, although you’re certainly welcome to try.
I appreciate your response and will look forward to reading what you have to say. As he is a member of my family I look forward to seeing his name cleared. I do not want to say he is innocent of all charges. I do want to know the truth. I know he made mistakes in his life but he didn’t have a long history of violence. He was a kid who picked the wrong friends at the beginning of his life away from his parents. Thug…I’ll never believe that. I don’t know if it’s true but I believe the victim has acknowledged in some report that Peyton was not involved in the beating nor did he steal the PS3 that he is accused. The police dropped those charges. However, I understand how it must seem. To me, a prior altercation with another student does make for a thug. Once again, thanks for the opportunity to support our family in clearing up misconceptions about Peyton. I hope this will one day be seen differently. Until then, I will continue to mourn for all parties involved. I am not bashing the police. I do believe in innocent until proven guilty.
P.S. I do not question your integrity-I just want what’s right for all parties. It hurts to see such harsh words written about someone that I know but you have never met.
Take care
Sarah,
I just read the entire report (the link worked fine, thank you). It clearly outlines the reasons the police believed this might be a dangerous situation. It also clearly states what items were to be seized; the non-listed seized items seem to all be either evidence of the shooting (shell casings and fragments) or obviously illegal items (marijuana and paraphernalia).
That alone neither confirms nor denies the existence of firearms on the premises, since they could well be legally owned items that were not identified on the warrant nor used in the commission of a crime.
Not sure why your message was relegated to my “awaiting moderation” list, but glad I got a chance to read and respond – I hadn’t seen the report you linked to, and obviously I’m interested.