Murder charges dropped against deputy who shot suspected PS3 thief

via joystiq

The correcting of a paperwork error has led to the dismissal of a second degree murder charge filed against New Hanover County Cpl. Christopher Long who was accused of shooting and killing an unarmed teen suspected of robbing two PlayStation 3 consoles. Apparently, the grand jury foreman checked the wrong box on the indictment form, mistakenly charging Long with murder.

According to his attorney, Long "based his decision [to fire] on his law enforcement training," hitting the victim in the head and shoulder after he thought he heard gunfire as authorities broke through the door to the victim's home with a battering ram. District Attorney Ben David confirmed that the other officers involved did not report hearing shots fired prior to Long's attack.