[ad_1]
A man in South Carolina who, according to authorities, was ambushed by a police sergeant and wounded six other death force officers, stocked 129 firearms at his home and fired about 39 shells at gunmen. police, said Tuesday a sheriff of the locality.
These details were unveiled at a press conference as law enforcement officials said they had completed the treatment of what Sheriff Leon Lott of Richland County, SC, had described as "One of the worst" crime scenes that he has ever seen. For days, local and federal investigators roamed the shooter's home – and six blocks around it – where MPs arrived earlier this month, hoping to get a search warrant and interrogate the man's son. in the context of a criminal sexual assault case.
The analyzes they made were grim: about 390 rounds of shells from bullets fired by the police; three different weapons – a pistol and two military style assault rifles – used by the shooter to shoot the authorities; and 126 additional firearms that he did not shoot, but apparently legally owned.
"Going inside the house is scary," said Sheriff Lott. "The officers had no chance whatsoever."
Sheriff Lott's latest update on the deadlock that has passed for hours came less than two weeks after Frederick T. Hopkins Jr., 74, was charged with the murder of Sgt. Terrence Carraway of the Florence Police Department. He was also charged with six counts of attempted murder, one for each injured law enforcement officer. During the October 3 shooting, Mr. Hopkins barricaded himself into his upscale 6,500-square-foot home in Florence, SC, and began firing from the second floor of the house when deputies arrived for execute the mandate, announced the authorities. Lawyer Ed Clements said it was too early to decide to seek the death penalty.
Since the shooting, the authorities have gradually explained why they were there. They said the case began with an investigation into a possible sexual assault by Hopkins' adopted son, Seth Hopkins, who was in his twenties. Seth Hopkins lives at home and the county investigators planned to interview him, Sheriff Lott said. The investigators had no arrest warrant, but a search warrant, he said.
Some time after the shooting, Seth Hopkins was arrested and charged with second-degree criminal sexual behavior, the sheriff said. He did not provide additional details on the case. Quoting a warrant for arrest, The Associated Press said that the charge was related to criminal sexual behavior with a minor and that two different girls were involved: a girl under the age of 11 at the time of the violence that took place there has years; the other who was between 11 and 14 years old when she was mistreated during the past year.
On Tuesday, Sheriff Lott said that besides Fred and Seth Hopkins, another adult and two children were inside the house at the time of the shooting. Sheriff Lott did not identify them or indicate whether or how they were related to Mr. Hopkins.
Three members of the Florence County Sheriff injured in the clash are still hospitalized, two of whom, according to the authorities, were in critical condition. Sergeant Carraway, who reportedly served for 31 years this month, was the first officer in Florence to be killed in the line of duty for 29 years.
Attempts on Tuesday to reach Mr. Hopkins and his son were unsuccessful. It was not clear if they had lawyers. The authorities did not explain in detail how they were arrested, arrested or discussed any injuries they may have suffered during the clash.
Court records showed that Mr. Hopkins had occasional meetings with the authorities, but Sheriff Lott described these meetings as "little things".
The shooting earlier this month was anything but.
"To go there and see what those officers were facing," said the sheriff, "is something I never want to see again."
Alan Blinder contributed to the reports.
Source link
