Posted on 11/20/2001 3:58:30 AM PST by Wolfie
Man Shot During Search Of Home
Officers were looking for drugs
By ANDREA WEIGL, Staff Writer
PRINCETON - A 50-year-old Princeton man was in serious condition Sunday after being shot by a Johnston County Sheriff's narcotics officer trying to serve a search warrant.
Larry Gene Rawlings, 50, was shot one time in the chest about 7:30 p.m. Saturday after several officers entered a house at 505 W. Edwards St. looking for illegal drugs, Capt. Dale Wheeler with the sheriff's office said.
"Upon entry into the residence, there was a confrontation between Rawlings and the narcotics agents in which Rawlings suffered one gunshot wound to the chest area," Wheeler said.
Agents with the State Bureau of Investigation are investigating the shooting, Wheeler said.
State and local officials weren't releasing much information Sunday about the incident.
Wheeler declined to release the name of the officer, who has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the SBI investigation.
Wheeler also declined to say what precipitated the shooting, including whether Rawlings was armed, whether any guns were found at the residence or whether any drugs were found in the home. It also is not known whether Rawlings will face any criminal charges, said Wheeler, who referred other questions to the SBI.
Johnston County Sheriff Steve Bizzell was out of town Sunday and could not be reached for comment.
Reached at home Sunday, SBI Director Robin Pendergraft said her agency wouldn't release the officer's name until today at the earliest.
Pendergraft said the details of what led to the shooting would not be provided until after the District Attorney's Office reviews the SBI's investigative report. District Attorney Tom Lock will have to decide whether the officer was justified in his use of force or should be prosecuted.
"We give that [report] to the district attorney to assess if there has been any excessive force. Only at that time would it be released," Pendergraft said.
Rawlings is being treated at Duke University Medical Center.
This formulaic gibberish is Johnny WOD’s 'press conference equivalent' of that element of colloquial speech often denoted in written form by the pseudo-word: 'Ummm'
Find or Plant when 'finding' proved problematic...
Detective on paid leave after shooting man
By OREN DORELL, Staff Writer
PRINCETON - Officials on Monday identified the Johnston County sheriff's deputy who shot a man in the man's home while executing a search warrant there, but they released few details about the incident.
Narcotics Detective Brandon C. Harris fired once at Larry Gene Rawlings while attempting to search Rawlings' home at 505 W. Edwards St. for drugs Saturday night, sheriff's Capt. Dale Wheeler said.
Rawlings, 50, who was shot in the chest and flown to Duke University Medical Center, was in fair condition Monday. Harris, 28, was placed on administrative leave with pay pending an investigation by the State Bureau of Investigation, a standard procedure when a deputy is involved in a shooting, Wheeler said.
Wheeler said he had not seen the search warrant and didn't know whether any drugs were found, but at least one firearm was found, he said. No charges had been filed Monday.
Harris joined the sheriff's office in July 2000 and earlier worked as a narcotics officer in the Goldsboro Police Department. He often worked undercover and was in plain clothes during Saturday's shooting, Wheeler said. "As a general rule, when they conduct a search they are clearly marked" as officers, Wheeler said.
Wheeler said three other deputies joined Harris for the search. "Upon entry into the residence, there was a confrontation between Mr. Rawlings and the narcotics agents," which led to Rawlings being shot, Wheeler said in a statement. He declined to elaborate.
"Any time you enter a house on a search warrant, especially with narcotics, you have to anticipate, but I can't say they were expecting trouble," he said.
Johnston County District Attorney Tom Lock, who will decide whether Harris should be prosecuted, was briefed Monday morning on the case. He declined to comment, citing the pending investigation.
Still no mention of whether the guy was holding a gun and aiming at the cop, just that there was a weapon in the house and they aren't even sure if they were drugs found? This thing reeks.
Wake Up. If this guy was found to be doing something wrong it would be trumpeted by the Seal wannabees. I wonder if this is the wrong house like many others are.
If I'm a cop and there's a struggle,guess who is going home alive??
Me.
A drug addict may hurt himself/herself, BUT ONE islamic muslim arab wierdo, will be trying and hoping to kill tens of MILLIONS of us USA citizens.
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