Former deputy Long may benefit from charity tournament (follow up)

wway3 ^ | 03/12/07 | wway

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WILMINGTON -- A golf tournament this weekend raised money for local emergency workers going through some tough times.

But you may be surprised to hear who may get the money.

Former Sheriff's Deputy Chris Long, the man who shot and killed Peyton Strickland while trying to serve an arrest warrant, is one of three candidates who may get the money from the Local Heroes tournament.

Long has been under investigation since December 1, 2006. That's when Long shot through 18-year-old Peyton Strickland's front door while trying to serve arrest and search warrants.

On Saturday Long, New Hanover County Sheriff Sid Causey and numerous other emergency response personnel competed in the first annual Local Heroes golf tournament.

Tournament organizer Pat Cullifer said, "To donate to an officer, a firefighter, an EMS personnel, somebody in the emergency response field that has a hardship throughout the year."

Several area businesses sponsored the event.

One sponsor says the event was specifically to benefit Long.

Cullifer denies that but says Long is one of three candidates who may receive money from the tournament.

"Once we decide who we will donate the money to we will donate to that person at that time," Cullifer said.

Sheriff Causey says even though he and many members of his department took part, it's not an official endorsement.

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As expected the killer Long got the money from the tournament. 3k I believe it was. Quite a nice reward actually. Long earned it for shooting in the blind thru a door thinking the battering ram was shots being fired from inside killing Peyton Strickland with a headshot.

Now if Peyton did what is alleged, he deserved to have an old fashioned can of 'WhPaS' to be opened on him. But to murder him was a crime far worse than anything he was accused of.