Police identify South Boston shooting victim
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By John Crane
Published: July 3, 2008
3:30 p.m. Update: The Virginia State Police have identified the man fatally shot by an officer Wednesday night at Sheetz in South Boston as 22-year-old Randolph Neal Seamster Jr. of Pelham, N.C.
Seamster was shot and killed by an officer with the Halifax, South Boston and Virginia State Police Regional Narcotic/Gang Enforcement Task Force, authorities said.
Return to the Web site for updates or read Friday’s Danville Register & Bee.
http://media.godanriver.com/registerbee/images/uploads/0703_shootingWEB.jpg
Virginia State Police are investigating the fatal shooting of a man by a law enforcement officer Wednesday night at the Sheetz store on U.S. 58 in South Boston.
Sgt. Dave Cooper, public information officer with Virginia State Police, said he could not provide details regarding what happened. The shooting occurred just before 7 p.m.
“This is just the start of the investigation,” Cooper said to reporters in the parking lot of a McDonald’s across the highway from the convenience store.
Authorities cordoned off the Sheetz parking lot where officers from the state police, South Boston Police Department and Halifax County Sheriff’s Office were at the scene.
A body covered by a white sheet could be seen on the ground just below the opened passenger door of a car. The car was between a gas pump and the front of the store.
The officer who fired the shots was not injured, Cooper said. However, he would not specify the agency the officer represented or the type of weapon used in the incident.
Officers involved in shootings are normally placed on leave pending the outcome of an investigation, Cooper said.
• Contact John R. Crane at or (434) 791-7987.
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Reader Reactions
Posted by ( SHADOW2008 ) on July 18, 2008 at 3:40 pm
thanks again ( nanacoleman1 we need more people like you on here thats got a brain!
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Posted by ( nanacoleman1 ) on July 17, 2008 at 11:14 pm
HERE YOU ARE AGAIN SNOOPER! THIS NOT A PAGE FOR YOU TO VENT OVER THE DEATH OF YOUR FRIEND WHOM DIED AT THE HAND OF A DRUG DEALER. READ THE ARTICLE THE POLICE ARE NOT EVEN SURE IT IS UNDER INVESTIGATION. THIS FAMILY JUST HAS CONCERNS WHICH IS NORMAL AND LOOKING FOR CLOSURE WON’T YOU GRANT THEM THAT MUCH. THEY JUST WANT ANSWERS IF THE VA STATE POLICE CAN’T OFFER ANY DETAILS RIGHT NOW LET IT GO. YOU VENTING LET IT GO. GET SOME COUNSELING TO HELP YOU DEAL WITH YOUR OWN PAIN.
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Posted by ( ANGEL2008 ) on July 10, 2008 at 11:33 am
THERE YOU GO AGAIN (SNOOPER ) YOUR HEAD OVER HEALS FOR THE POLICE ARENT YOU !THEY ARE NOT INNOCENT! LIKE YOU BETRAY THEM TO BE !WHO ARE U TO JUDGE .YOU HAVE THE NERVE TO SAY THE THINGS U ARE SAYING THIS COULD HAVE BEEN ANY OF YOU GUYS THAT ARE LEAVEING THESE COMMENTS! NOBODY ON THIS EARTH IS PERFECT SO U NEED TO STOP RIGHT THERE ! I KNEW THIS BOY AND LET ME TELL YOU HE WAS NOT VIOLENT HE WAS THE MOST CAREING AND LOVEING MAN.HE WASNT A DRUG DEALER NOR A GANG MEMBER.ALL HE LIKE TO DO WAS GO FISHING AND RIDE HE,S FOUR WHEELER.NOW THESE ARE FACTS AND THE TRUTH! IAM SO SICK OF YOU IDIOTS SAYING THE POLICE WAS IN THE RIGHT! ALL U ARE GOING BY IS HEARSAY HOW MANY PEOPLE WAS THERE THAT NIGHT. SURELY WASNT ANY OF YOU THAT ARE LEAVEING THESE COMMENTS!AND ALSO THAT WASNT HIS G-FREIND HE WAS WITH ! SHE WAS ONLY A FREIND! THEY COULD HAVE SHOT OUT THE TIRES OF THAT CAR BUT THEY CHOSE TO MURDER HIM! THEY HAD OTHER CHOICES BUT DIDNT DO IT!KEEP WATCHING U GUYS BECAUSE THIS IS NOT THE END TO THIS !THIS MAN MEANT A LOT TO ME AND IAM NOT GOING TO LET HIS LIFE GO OUT LIKE THIS! AND THATS A PROMISE!!!!!!!!!!
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Posted by ( snooper ) on July 04, 2008 at 4:22 pm
Just watching the news and hearing the comments, I wish that more people could be in the shoes of the officers invoved. It is a split second decision to decide to pull a trigger needless to say drawing a weapon. If an officer is in plain clothes and identifies himself especially with a badge, how could anyone confuse that with a car jacking. There is going to be so much of judge jury and executioner with the officers. No one seems to say much about how the deceased was braking the law in the first place. How he put the car in a gear and went towards an officer. How the shots were fired to protect a life.
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Posted by ( michaeldehart ) on July 04, 2008 at 2:31 pm
I notice in the photograph, The young man is wearing what seems to be clothing that inmates are issued. This tells me that he may not be unfamiliar with law enforcement and the courts and he reasonably should have known the outcome of violent actions against law enforcemnt personnel.
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Posted by ( greenmile ) on July 03, 2008 at 11:39 pm
I feel bad to hear this about someone so young. Maybe if more information was shared we could really get the big picture as to why, and what happen. I put high moral respect in our Law enforcement and hold the officers to the highest standards. I hope the officer or officers envolved can live with this and know that they made the right decision as to the use of deadly force. My question (?)is, was it nessesary? I want to think so.
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