Teen shot dead by police over stolen PS3

An 18-year-old North Carolina man, suspected of stealing two PlayStation 3 consoles, was shot dead by police executing a search warrant at his residence.

Peyton Strickland was gunned down in his house by deputies as he answered the door, the Wilmington Star News reports.

. He was unarmed, according to witnesses. University of North Carolina police had investigated the alleged robbery, and asked the Hanover County Sheriff's Department to assist in serving the warrant. It was a sheriff's deputy, not a university officer, who killed the young man. The trigger-happy deputy also shot dead Strickland's dog for good measure.

Strickland is suspected of robbing a university student of two PS3 consoles on 17 November, when they first became available. The robbery victim, student Justin Raines, was beaten and robbed shortly after paying $641 each for two consoles at a local Wal-Mart. He received minor injuries, according to police.

Ironically, University Police Chief David Donaldson had asked the Sheriff's Department to assist in serving the warrant against Strickland "for safety reasons". ®