Owner shot by deputies

[Dave P]

Shot Lotto Winner Was Reportedly Guarding Car Fleet

POSTED: 12:26 pm EDT April 20, 2006
UPDATED: 12:52 pm EDT April 20, 2006

A former $60 million Florida lottery winner who was shot by sheriff's deputies as they searched for a car thief on his property was apparently trying to protect his fleet of sports cars at the time of the shooting, according to Local 6 News.
...

During the search, deputies confronted Swofford on his own property. Swofford was holding a handgun, according to officers.

"(They said) 'Drop the gun, drop the gun,' and there were several commands to drop the gun," Seminole County sheriff's Lt. Dennis Lemma said. "The person refused to drop the weapon and actually moved the weapon in a threatening manner toward deputies that were on scene."

#
"It now appears that the lotto winner was trying to protect some of his fleet of sports cars, when in a twist of bad luck, he was confronted by sheriff's deputies," Mike DeForest said.

Deputies opened fire on Swofford, striking him at least three times, Local 6 News reported.

"It now appears that the lotto winner was trying to protect some of his fleet of sports cars, when in a twist of bad luck, he was confronted by sheriff's deputies," Mike DeForest said.
...

"No citizen should arm themselves with a firearm and confront anybody in the middle of a field," Lemma said. "This is a tragic situation. It is a situation that probably could have been avoided if everybody was doing what they should have been doing." I guess he means just cower in your house and let us deal with it.

 

[medic_guns]

Send him a message!!!

[email protected]


Let him know what you think about his obtuse comment.

 

[cidirkona]

Hey Dave P, could you post a link to the original article?

Thanks!
-Colin

 

[NineseveN]

http://www.local6.com/news/8854925/detail.html

Linked for your reading pleasure.

and the full article:

Shot Lotto Winner Was Reportedly Guarding Car Fleet

A former $60 million Florida lottery winner who was shot by sheriff's deputies as they searched for a car thief on his property was apparently trying to protect his fleet of sports cars at the time of the shooting, according to Local 6 News.

Investigators said the incident began early Thursday morning when deputies arrested a man who was allegedly breaking into cars at the Barrington at Mirror Lake apartments in Seminole County.

Officers believed there may have been another suspect on the loose and began to canvass some nearby woods.

During the search, deputies confronted Swofford on his own property. Swofford was holding a handgun, according to officers.

"(They said) 'Drop the gun, drop the gun,' and there were several commands to drop the gun," Seminole County sheriff's Lt. Dennis Lemma said. "The person refused to drop the weapon and actually moved the weapon in a threatening manner toward deputies that were on scene."


"It now appears that the lotto winner was trying to protect some of his fleet of sports cars, when in a twist of bad luck, he was confronted by sheriff's deputies," Mike DeForest said.


Deputies opened fire on Swofford, striking him at least three times, Local 6 News reported.

"It now appears that the lotto winner was trying to protect some of his fleet of sports cars, when in a twist of bad luck, he was confronted by sheriff's deputies," Mike DeForest said.

Swofford's friend Don Buchholz said he frequently chases off people who wander up to his house to check out his cars, the report said.

"The reason he went out there was because an alarm went off in the house saying there was movement out there," Buchholz said.

"No citizen should arm themselves with a firearm and confront anybody in the middle of a field," Lemma said. "This is a tragic situation. It is a situation that probably could have been avoided if everybody was doing what they should have been doing."

Swafford, who is a former military Special Forces member, said he was paranoid about his personal safety but enjoyed being a multi-millionaire, in an earlier interview with Local 6 News.

"I've become a born-again Christian and God has given me a stewardship of his money," Swafford said in an earlier interview.

The two deputies involved in the shooting have been placed on administrative leave.

Before winning the lottery, Swofford impregnated two co-workers and married one of them. The women were sisters.

"After he won the lottery, he basically paid off one of the sisters to divorce him and she got a $5 million settlement to basically go away," DeForest said.

Later, the other sister sued and a judge declared she was not entitled to any of the lottery money, but she did collect child support, according to the report.

Swofford is in stable condition at Orlando Regional Medical Center.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the shooting.

 

[NineseveN]

My comments:

To hell with what the sheriff says, my property, my right to defend it within the full stroke of the law; if you don't like that, go manage a McDonald's.

The story read like a semi-smear piece on the homeowner...who cares if he was taggin' a couple of sisters? Is that illegal? Does it have anything even remotely to do with the story at hand? If he was nailing gals 2 at a time, I say good for him! Legal? Check. Consenting adults? Check. Okay, the expose on his sexual behaviors ends right there.

Stupid media, stupid Sheriff. :banghead:

I wonder if there's something just not quite right about this story? Were the deputies in uniform? What was said, and from how far away? How many commands were given, were there conflicting commands? Time will tell, at least this guy lived.

 

[Daniel T]

Too little detail about the actual event in that story, and too much detail about stuff that doesn't pertain in any feasible way. What a waste of text; just garbage.

 

[akodo]

the devil is in the details here.

I see nothing wrong with him being armed securing his property.

If the police identify themselves verbally and tell you to put the gun down, do it, while identifying yourself back as the homeowner.

But, we have no information taht the police did identify themselves as such. The news only reports them shouting 'drop the gun'. If they are not identifying themselves as police, that isn't sufficient. It makes me wonder if they failed to identify themselves, and the police are trying to cover their ass by taking the stance 'he shouldn't have been there with a gun, it's his fault for getting himself shot, our failure to properly identify ourselves was irrelevant'.

 

[Lennyjoe]

Before winning the lottery, Swofford impregnated two co-workers and married one of them. The women were sisters.

What the hell does that have to do with him getting shot?

The article reads like a 2nd grade paper. Also, why are they airing out his laundry about the women? Friggin reporters:banghead:

 

[nucstl1]

Did they say "Drop the Gun" or "Police, Drop the Gun"...big difference I think.

 

[mzmtg]

Well, I wrote Mr Lemma this Email:

Mr. Lemma,

I am seeking some clarification of a quote attributed to you in this
news article: http://www.local6.com/news/8854925/detail.html

" 'No citizen should arm themselves with a firearm and confront
anybody in the middle of a field,' Lemma said. "

Is it your official position that it is inappropriate for citizens to
arm themselves for the defense of themselves and their property?

Thank you for your time,
MZMTG

and got this reply:

What I should have said was No citizen should have to arm themselves with a firearm and confront
anybody in the middle of a field.

I will be more careful with my selection of words.


Lieutenant Dennis M. Lemma
Public Information Officer
Seminole County Sheriff's Office
Community Services Division
100 Bush Blvd.
Sanford, Florida 32773
407-665-6986
[email protected]

 

[molonlabe]

Actually I think he meant exactly what he said. That's why he is a public information officer.

 

[Molon Labe]

If the police identify themselves verbally and tell you to put the gun down, do it

Not me.

If cops are on my property without a warrant, I will tell them to disarm...

 

[El Tejon]

Problem #2 rears its ugly multi headed mug.

Friendly fire isn't very friendly at all.

 

[NineseveN]

Not me.

If cops are on my property without a warrant, I will tell them to disarm...

What color flowers would you like on your casket?

 

[Henry Bowman]

LennyJoe, that was to balance this statement from an earlier interview with the ventilated fellow.

"I've become a born-again Christian and God has given me a stewardship of his money," Swafford said in an earlier interview.

"The reason he went out there was because an alarm went off in the house saying there was movement out there," Buchholz said.

If he (or the alarm system) had not called the police, and they did not identify themsleves as such...

 

[sturmruger]

I don't see how the cops could be in trouble criminally in this case, but I see a big old lawsuit in the near future. It is really going to come down to how the officers were dressed, and how they identified themselves to the the poor victim in this case. From what I understand LEO have broad powers to follow a fleeing bad guy. I would expect them to be tense if they found a guy in a field, but I would not expect them to shoot the guy when he is on his own property.

On the other hand if you have people wearing windbreakers that say "police" holding radios and guns most people could safely assume they are LEO and following thier orders carefully.

 

[Steve in PA]

If they (LEOS) identified themselves (properly) and told him to drop his weapon, he should have complied. He didn't and you see the results of his actions.

As for the LEOS being on someones property without a warrant, yeah go ahead and tell them to disarm.......we'll see what happens. I'll pick you some flowers from along side the road.

Nothing wrong with protecting your property but you need to have more common sense than a rock when doing it.

 

[Geno]

Times Like This I Regret Being Christian--

because of being a Christian gentleman, I can't possibly express what I feel after reading this! I wouldn't anyhow actually. So, well, another fine mess caused by--a tyrant.

Someone here has a signature line that says something like "No tyrant should be allowed to die a natural death". That's as close as I have ever seen to describe what SHOULD have happened. The gentleman should have taken some of that money and installed a massive fence around this property, then shot ANYONE who crossed with no warrant.

I hope these deputies end up having to sleep with their eyes open in prison. Since we can't send them direct to Hades, prison seems a next-best thing.

I HAVE A QUESTION FOR LAWYERS--YOU SEE A COP ON DUTY OR OFF DUTY ILLEGALLY USING A FIREARM--DO YOU DEFEND THE INNOCENT? In Michigan, it is a felony to disarm a cop, even a scum-cop. Whatever happened to "citizen arrest?!?!?!?!"

Any anti-cop accusations are MORE than welcomed. Not all cops are good. Some are scum, as-scum-as the BGs.

So, my question stands. You see a cop assaulting someone--what do you do? Seems to fit here, doesn't it?

Edited to add:

This "pack-of-fools", went "locked-'n'-loaded" and didn't know that he was the property OWNER?

Did they stop to say, sir, we are here to investigate, etc??? Doubtful.

We need "Highly Qualified Police"--just like--"Highly Qualified Teachers". Police, like teachers should be required to have at the LEAST, a B.A. or B.S.--No more cops with a H.S. or G.E.D. Maybe with a little more education they will develop some common sense.

By the way, what was his threatening move--did he look at them cross-eyed?

One thing is certain, he had enough money to sue these rotten pups into Hades. Praise the Lord for that not-so-small miracle.

Doc2005

 

[Steve in PA]

How do you know the on or off duty cop is using his weapon illegally??? You have a crystal ball or something to know the circumstances behind the actions?

 

[Twycross]

Too many unanswered questions for judgement here. Were the officers clearly identifiable as such (there is no indication that they were not)? Did they know it was the owner they were confronting (remember, they were in the process of searching for a car thief in the immediate area)? The story is too incomplete.

 

[c_yeager]

Uninvited armed men (edit)shoot(edit) a person who was commiting no crime on his own property, and this is not a criminal act. Tell me again that we dont have a ruling class?


*edited because I cannot read, thanks Baba

 

[Geno]

Steve in PA

Check the post I did Re: the young officer in Muskegon, MI who beat the Hades out of a 92-year-old man for not moving fast enough. By the way, the man was not doing anything wrong, and NOONE had called the police. This cop just wanted the man to leave his neighbor's property. Guess no crystal ball was needed, huh?

I'd say that is clearly wrong.

Doc2005

 

[CentralTexas]

Odd how every month we post stories like this that some others call "unusual" events....
CT

 

[Otherguy Overby]

Steve in PA:

How do you know the on or off duty cop is using his weapon illegally??? You have a crystal ball or something to know the circumstances behind the actions?

Well Steve, we sure won't find the truth from the newspaper article. Or from that "Information" officer.

Sheesh, with the information provided one could also come to the conclusion the cops were off duty, drunk and set the alarm off themselves while checking the sports cars out.

What we can know for sure is that the two cops did confront the guy in his yard at night, most likely in the dark with flashlights. They blinded him. They then both screamed conflicting instructions mixed with profanities: Motherf... and A$$... When the guy finally obeyed one cop, the other shot him. That's standard police procedure in the 21st century.

 

[cane]

You know, if I was a deputy in a jursidiction with a $60 million lotto winner who owns a fleet of expensive sports cars, I would know what he looked like. Were the deputies there because the alarm went off? Had they been there before when the owner had to run off other intruders? Lots of questions here.