Unarmed man allegedly tased, maced, and killed for demanding warrant from police to search his home

By Fusion Staff  |  November 16, 2015 | 6:12pm
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A man was allegedly shot and killed by police in Spring Lake, North Carolina over the weekend, after her refused to allow deputies into his home without a warrant.


According to witnesses, who identified the victim, John Livingston, early 30s, answered the door when deputies from the Harnett County Sheriff’s Office came to his residence. Clayton Carroll, who says he lived with Livingston and saw what happened, the deputies were searching for someone who no longer lived at the trailer. Authorities say they were at the residence as part of an investigation into an assault. Caroll told WNCN that when the officers asked if they could look around, Livingston replied “not without a search warrant,” and the situation escalated from there. WNCN reports:

“The cop kicked in the door, got on top of him, started slinging him around beat him…” Carroll said. Carroll said sheriff’s deputies then started spraying mace on Livingston and using the Taser, according to the roommate. Witnesses said Livingston was not fighting back and was trying to get the Taser out of the deputy’s hands… Carroll said Livingston was shot six times, while another witness in the home, Bristol Edge, said Livingston was shot at least four times.

Caroll added that Livingston was not armed during the altercation.

Bristol Edge told ABC 11 that she saw police throw “him on his stomach.” She added, “He was maced, he was tasered three to four times. And when he got out on the front porch he was shot four times.” WRAL reports that the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation is probing the incident; the deputies in question were place on administrative leave.

The Harnett County Sheriff’s Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Danielle Wiener-Bronner is a news reporter.

 
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