Posted on 04/20/2006 6:42:31 PM PDT by grjr21
FOREST CITY, Fla. -- A $60 million lottery winner was shot by two Seminole County deputies. Robert Swofford, Jr. is in the hospital with four gunshot wounds.
Swofford, 54, may have thought the deputies on his private property were intruders, but the officers who were looking for a burglar. Instead, they ran into the armed man.
The Seminole County Sheriff's Office released video taken by their helicopter just moments after deputies shot Swofford at his home off 436 near Forest City. They said he had an semi-automatic weapon and refused to drop it.
Swofford's close friend told Channel 9 on Thursday that people are always lurking around his expensive cars on his property. A sheriff's search dog led two deputies onto Swofford's property from the back, about 200 feet behind the house. Then, the three found themselves gun to gun.
The two deputies, dog-handler Billy Morris, a 10-year veteran, and rookie officer Ronnie Remus, said they identified themselves as sheriff's deputies and told the man they thought was their car burglary suspect to drop the gun. Instead, they said, he moved the 9-millimeter handgun toward them and they opened fire.Later, they found out they had shot the $60 million lotto winner.
"My gut feeling is that an alarm went off in the house and he went off to investigate," said Swofford’s close friend Don Buchholz.Swofford's friends said he's installed cameras, sensors and alarm systems all over his property. Since he won the lotto jackpot, he's had a lot of trespassers."People coming on the property, scoping the cars out. We've had to chase them, yeah. We've had a lot of excitement around here," Buchholz said.
But the sheriff's office said they have no written reports of any trespassers on the property and would never recommend that someone take matters into their own hands, unless there was no other alternative, because of the very possibility that something like this could happen.The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is trying to find out why Swofford didn't drop his gun.
His friends don't understand why it happened either."I'm upset. I'm not pointing the finger at anybody. Right now, to me, it was a big accident," Buchholz said.This isn't the first time that Swofford has made headlines since winning the lotto jackpot.
First, he didn't collect the money until his divorce was final. But, eventually, as part of the divorce settlement, he gave his wife $5 million and he has now reunited with her. Then, he was sued twice by his wife's sister, with whom he also has a child.
Two deputies are on administrative leave after Thursday morning's shooting. Deputy Billy Morse has been with the sheriff's office for ten years. Deputy Ronnie Remus has been with Seminole County for one year.Sheriff's records show Deputy Billy Morris has had a few problems during his ten years on the force. Among them, he failed to identify himself as a deputy while off-duty breaking up a bar fight and he shot and killed a suspect's dog a few years ago while trying to make an arrest
Or I never play... seems a little risky (win or lose).
I really don't see how this has anything to do with the story, are we jealous, are are we into it's the victims fault. However, since I've never rally cared about the personal lives of lotto winner's, I found it funny.
Maybe "plain clothes"? If someone is on my property and tells me to drop my weapon, I'd tell them to prove they are LEOs then .......Anyone can say they are cops (see Rep Mckinney's "bodyguard")then blow you away when you disarm.
That sounds Ruby Ridge'ess.
My first question is were the cops wearing their Official Police Uniforms or their fatigues or Ninja suits?
Police have good uniforms that are easily recognised as being Police uniforms. but many of them prefer coveralls and combat boots., Much like burglar might wear.
Well he probably only has about 15 million anyway. The state took half of it and he probably took a cash out reduced amount. and then there is the 5 million for the ex-exwife and Then there is the sister and those expensive cars he has to watch:') That's enough to get anybody edgy:')
They do get antsy when someone else they don't know has a gun.
It does appear that it was a police copter was there following a burglar and the cops run into his property looking for the perp.
Sound right?
However, the video only shows the "end" of the shooting.
With his alarms he may have had a camera up. Hopefully his friend will hide it for him.
I can fully understand the property owners refusal to lower his weapon. "Police officer... drop your weapon" just doesn't cut if for me.
Couldn't the author mention what time it was? Dusk? Dark? Were the deputies in uniform? Do they prowl around private property without trying to contact the owner? Procedurally, there seems to be something wrong here.
Absolutely! He needs to buy a 1,000 acre ranch in Texas and enjoy himself with strippers in Dallas on the weekends (and learn from his past).
It was dark .
A Police helicopter took some Night Vision pictures .
But I couldn't tell what they were wearing.
Most stories miss a lot of information
"Facing cops telling me to drop my gun, I'm gonna do it. We can sort it out later without any holes in anybody."
Breaking News: man found shot in his backyard. Officials say the victim claimed he was shot by two men who claimed they were cops...after shooting him they made off with his Jaguar and wallet.
So...did you mace the cop before, or after accepting his apology?
Ah, I think he has enough women problems:') Maybe just the ranch.
Thats one hell of a Jack Russell.. or one hell of a wimpy cop.... (why would a cop come to your house CC? Loud music?)
Are not ninja suits (with obligatory ski masks) Official Police Uniforms? Or Balaclavas?
True. You need to learn how to walk before you can run!
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