On December 28, an armed robber entered a Mini Mart & Tobacco store in Chesterfield County, South Carolina. The robber put a gun to the clerk’s head. The clerk accessed his own gun. The clerk shot the robber, killing him before the robber could kill him. The Sheriff’s office responded quickly, investigated the scene, and watched video from the store.
Less than two days later, the Sheriff’s office released an official statement to the public. From Facebook, Chesterfield County Sheriff’s Office:
On December 28, 2024 at 8:47 pm, the Chesterfield County Sheriff’s Office responded to an Armed Robbery at the Hwy. 9 Mini Mart & Tobacco store located at 28495 Hwy. 9 in Pageland. Upon arrival, deputies discovered a deceased black male with gunshot wounds. The store clerk gave a statement that the black male had entered the store and put a gun to his head and demanded money. The clerk then produced his own handgun and fired multiple shots at the robber. This was confirmed by the store surveillance video obtained and reviewed by Chesterfield County Sheriff’s Office Investigators. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) was called to process the crime scene.
Sheriff Cambo Streater would like to remind the citizens of Chesterfield County, that South Carolina law states “A person who is not engaged in an unlawful activity and who is attacked in another place where he has a right to be, including, his place of business, has no duty to retreat and has the right to stand his ground and meet force with force, including deadly force, if he reasonably believes it is necessary to prevent death or great bodily injury to himself or another person or to prevent the commission of a violent crime.”
Sheriff Streater strongly supports the rights of our citizens to protect themselves.
Based on the above facts, and after consulting with the 4th Circuit Solicitor’s Office, no charges will be filed in this case.
This case was investigated by the Chesterfield County Sheriff’s Office, the Chesterfield County Coroner’s Office and SLED.
Two days earlier, the Manatee County Sheriff in Florida reinforced the utility of Second Amendment rights in a home invasion case.
The case, the investigation, and Sheriff Cambo Streater’s quick release of a statement in South Carolina exemplify how digital technology is changing and improving responses to crime. The speed of the investigation and the decision not to charge the clerk were possible because of the video evidence. The outcome is far different from cases where a victim may wait for weeks or months to know what will happen while investigators re-create the scene, do forensic analysis, and leave the victim in doubt about legal jeopardy.
When someone has been killed in a violent encounter, investigating officers should not blindly accept the account of a person who claims to be the victim. Careful analysis is called for. Video can immediately answer obvious questions. Did the deceased actually put a gun to the head of the clerk? Does the video confirm the account of the clerk?
The video of the encounter should be released to the public. This removes doubt about the incident and stifles rumors. As of this writing, the video in this incident has not been released. Trust in law enforcement can be enhanced by public access to video evidence.
Video can mislead as well as enlighten, especially if the video has been edited. Video editing has been used to mislead the public. The Rodney King case is a classic example.
About Dean Weingarten:
Dean Weingarten has been a peace officer, a military officer, was on the University of Wisconsin Pistol Team for four years, and was first certified to teach firearms safety in 1973. He taught the Arizona concealed carry course for fifteen years until the goal of Constitutional Carry was attained. He has degrees in meteorology and mining engineering, and retired from the Department of Defense after a 30 year career in Army Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation.
