Woman Held Hostage in Spartanburg Convenience Store

Fox21 ^ | 7/19/04 | Fox21.com

[4everontheRight]

Investigators say a man running from a traffic stop today has taken a woman employee at a Spartanburg convenience store.

Police say the standoff has been ongoing since this morning.

Spartanburg Public Safety Lieutenant Steve Lamb says the traffic stop happened about eight a-m. Officers say the man had a gun, got out of the car and ran into a Fast Point store.

A SWAT team surrounded the store and negotiators were talking with the man and woman inside the store. Some surrounding businesses were evacuated.

Police have spoken with the woman and she is uninjured. Signs posted inside store windows asked police to restore power to the building.

Dewanna Brandon works at the store and lives nearby. She says she was supposed to start her shift at ten this morning. She identified the woman inside the store as her supervisor Sarah Patel.

[4everontheRight]

Hostage situation has been going on for over 8 hours right now. Woman inside is a diabetic.

[OldFriend]

And where is Spartanburg?

[4everontheRight]

Sorry...Spartanburg South Carolina.
This store is right in downtown. Power has been off in store since 8:30 this morning

[Boxsford]

It's where John B. White's sista lives.

[EllaMinnow]

Who is John B. White?

My sista lives there, too.

[Rakkasan1]

send in Janet Reno

[dhuffman@awod.com]

I wonder if the shop is posted against legal CCW. If it is ...

[RockinRight]

I wonder if the shop is posted against legal CCW. If it is ...

Now that's something I'd like to find out...does SC have CCW?

[4everontheRight]

Kids were just caught in back of a nearby building shooting off fireworks!! SWAT was ready to start firing on the building...thought the hostage taker had open fire on the hostage!!!

[4everontheRight]

Story has changed again! Now they are saying 5 rounds were fired within the building

[dhuffman@awod.com]

YES! The Law Abiding Citizens Self-Defense Act of 1996, amended!

[SC Swamp Fox]

does SC have CCW?

As Doug states, they do...but the store owner can post a sign on his door that prohibits concealed weapons on his property. In that case you either leave your weapon in your car or do business elsewhere.

[SC Swamp Fox]

Update from Fox21.

Police have spoken with the woman and she is uninjured. Signs posted inside store windows asked police to restore power to the building.

Dewanna Brandon works at the store and lives nearby. She says she was supposed to start her shift at ten this morning. She identified the woman inside the store as her supervisor, Sarah Patel.

[SC Swamp Fox]

SC Ping

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[visualops]

Last I heard the guy was shot and woman is OK, I dunno if he's dead or alive though. I don't feel like turning the news on.

[PistolPaknMama]

Wow, wonder if the employer didn't allow weapons on the premises? Don't know all the facts but can't imagine this situation couldn't be remedied with a few slugs placed closed together.

[4everontheRight]

All ended about 9:30 last night with an amazing job by Fox 21. A local bulldozer operator offered to go in and knock down the corners of the building being as the front door was the only way in and out. The police allowed him to do it and it forced the gunmen and hostage to the farthest corner of the building.
The dozer then went to the farthest corner and knocked a huge hole in that corner and SWAT pushed through the front door and forced the gunmen to go into the front bulldozed corner.

Next thing you saw was the woman hostage running out of the open wall into the arms of SWAT. After a few minutes the tape was replayed and you could see it was actually the gunmen and the hostage coming out of the opening and as he was waving the gun at her, she was fighting him and pushing the gun away. He was obviously trying to force her out of the hole in the wall to use her as cover and she fought him and allowed a sharpshooter to deliver a fantastic shot to his shoulder and take him down.
The video was amazing! The woman is fine and back with her family and the gunmen will live to face charges.

[dhuffman@awod.com]

Yes, a 'sign' that is carefully specified in law and not often used. The hum-job signs have no legal effect vis-a-vis CWP/CCW but are merely 'No Tresspassing' signs. A violator is liable for tresspass and not a CWP violation.

Worse, a sign has never prevented a violation of any law (see 'speed limit').

[Cultural Jihad]

http://www.wistv.com/Global/story.asp?S=2058426&nav=0RaPOwDx

[visualops]

They have the video up at carolinachannel.com, and a pic of the bulldozer knocking the corner down.
From the story:

Neighbors said Johnson shopped at the store almost daily, and he and Patel knew each other. Hardy said the sniper who shot Johnson is on paid administrative leave, which he said is standard procedure following an officer-involved shooting. "The sniper was able to make one of the most critical shots that I've seen in my 32 years of law enforcement, at the right time," Public Safety Director Tony Fisher said. Johnson has not yet been charged, but officials said he will face a variety of charges. Johnson already has a sizeable police record, including prison terms for armed robbery.

Now, if an officer shoots (& kills) someone under various other circumstances, I can understand taking them off-duty for a period of time while it's investigated. But when you have a hostage situation, and a cop whose job is specifically to target and take down the perp when given the opportunity- I really don't get this "administrative leave" stuff. The cop should be being applauded for taking the guy down in a matter of seconds without having to kill him.