Posted on 10/29/2013 9:39:21 AM PDT by Eagle Bomba
"No officers were injured during the shooting," Samples said, but "we did have one officer receive a minor injury, not related to the gunfire."
Though police were guarded with details surrounding the case, eyewitnesses claim the shootout was prompted by a code enforcement operation involving an old, rusted and inoperable van owned by Pryor.
Witnesses say a Statesboro Code Compliance officer reported to Pryor's home to seize the van, which has sat idle in the yard for several years.
"He has had the van forever. They have been asking for years for him to move it. He signed some papers, went back into the house, and then all of a sudden everything happened," Roberts said. "The van had a lot of sentimental value for him. He wanted to get it fixed." A tow truck, with the van loaded, was still on the scene hours after the shooting.
The city's Code Compliance department, under the umbrella of Planning and Development, is responsible for "ensuring that the city's physical environment is maintained through the enforcement of codes related to building and property maintenance, sanitation, zoning, etc.," according to the city of Statesboro website. "Code compliance staff is responsible for investigating complaints which may often be categorized as ‘nuisances' including: vacant and dilapidated buildings, overgrown vegetation, front yard parking, abandoned vehicles, litter, etc. The activities of code compliance staff are intended to improve the community's standard of living and enhance property values throughout the city."
Samples said he could neither confirm nor deny the witness accounts, or release the names and job statuses of officers involved in the shooting.
(Excerpt) Read more at statesboroherald.com ...
No. It’s my property and I like it where it is.
He fought back stupidly. He should have known this was coming and taken further steps to either avoid this confrontation, or survive it.
The majority didn't fight back and we know what happened.
"But if your neighbors made a reasonable request of you to move your vehicle (due to a child safety issue or something similar) would you at least consider it?"
How is a vehicle just sitting on a person's property some kind of "child safety issue or something similar"?
I have a neighbor right across the street from me who has 3 inoperable vehicles sitting on his property and as much as they are an eyesore and we've (neighbors also) talked to him about selling them to a junkyard, he hasn't. And we haven't called the cops on him.
It’s hard to believe that he missed the police with his first volley, by accident.
Was the van damaged?
Stay out of his yard and it’s no danger to you.
Simple.
When I had the shingles, they were certainly not to code. Happily no one shot me.
Then it’s a good thing you don’t live in a community with rules that you consent to when you purchase property there.
“(Pryor) was on the porch. He went inside, came back out and started shooting. I heard two shots from him. “(Police) took off and began shooting back,” said Rose Roberts, a resident of nearby Institute Street. Roberts said she ducked for cover under a house when shots rang out. “After about the third shot, he went down. It was unreal. All of a sudden, everything went wrong.”
How about reading the article before replying? The deceased went into his home, came back out and started shooting at officers who returned fire killing the suspect.
My home values didn't crash nearly as much as places where HOA Nazi's and code enforcement Stasi run rampant.
Neighbors didn’t call the cops. They called code enforcement. Code enforcement called the cops to accompany. And if it wasn’t for the cops you’d probably have a few dead city workers because they were doing their job as laid out by the local laws.
What difference does the value of the seized property make?
I don’t know about rules are rules..but keeping a POS in the yard for years is a problem. If he was working on it, I’m cool with it....if it’s junk, have it hauled away.
I agree.
We’re getting mired in too many “what ifs?” and that gets us no where. Bottom line: if you’re wronged, take it to the courts. You have that right. Coming out shooting may not be the best response to the city towing away an old rusty van. Sue the hell out of them.
/johnny
If someone was trying to keep their POS in YOUR yard I would agree that it would be a problem. Why does it make any difference to you how long someone keeps a POS in their OWN yard?
code enforcer = PFC with a whistle
I guess he was mad as hell and he wasn’t going to take it any more...
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