In deputy's killing of teen, grand jury sleeps on it
Published: Wed, Jul. 11, 2007 12:00AM
Modified Wed, Jul. 11, 2007 04:05AM
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closeWILMINGTON -- It took 65 minutes for grand jurors to decide they needed a night's rest to answer whether a former deputy should be tried as a criminal for shooting to death an unarmed teenager.
Christopher Long, a former New Hanover County sheriff's deputy, could face a manslaughter charge for shooting to death Durham native Peyton Strickland in December. Twelve of the 18 grand jurors must vote to indict him. Long shot Strickland through a closed door when his SWAT unit came to arrest him on robbery and assault charges.
Monday, a judge's ruling allowed Long to tell the jurors what happened that night. In another rare move Tuesday, Strickland's father, Don Strickland, addressed the grand jury in the secrecy of a New Hanover County conference room. Testimony before grand juries is not open to the public and is typically limited to officers who investigated the incident.
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The two men, Long and Don Strickland, sat less than 10 feet apart in a courtroom, waiting for the grand jury to weigh in on a split-second decision that haunts them both.
Long clutched his wife's hand and bowed to pray with their pastor.
Strickland gave the man who killed his only son a long look before clenching his jaw and facing forward.
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