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U.S. NEWS Friday 5 OctOber 2018

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Suspect in shooting of 7 officers

bragged about gun skills

By JEFFREY COLLINS and say only that the gunman "Fire was being shot all
MEG KINNARD released the children as he over. The way this suspect
FLORENCE, S.C. (AP) — The was taken into custody, au- was positioned, his view of
Vietnam veteran and dis- thorities said. fire was several hundred
barred lawyer accused Hopkins was hospitalized yards. So he had an ad-
of shooting seven law en- with a head injury and un- vantage," Florence County
forcement officers, killing able to speak with officers, Sheriff Kenney Boone told
one, bragged online about Columbia, South Carolina, reporters. Florence Police
his marksmanship and love television station WIS re- Chief Allen Heidler estimat- A police officer directs traffic on Hoffmeyer Road near the Vin-
for the "smell of gunpow- ported Thursday. ed Thursday that it took a tage Place neighborhood where three deputies and two city
der" in the years before the The warrant involved an half-hour to reach some of officers were shot Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018, in Florence, S.C.
deadly standoff, records accusation that a 27-year- the wounded officers.q Associated Press
and social media posts un- old person at the home
earthed Thursday showed. sexually assaulted a foster
Frederick Hopkins lost his child who lives there, Flor-
law license in the 1980s for ence County Chief Deputy
mishandling money and Glenn Kirby said.
faced several minor crimi- Back in 2016, the 74-year-
nal charges in recent years, old Hopkins posted pho-
including disorderly con- tos on Facebook of guns
duct in 2014. It was around set up for target practice,
the time of his disbarment bragging that he was the
that he got serious about state's 2011 "3-Gun Silhou-
amateur target-shooting, ette Champion." In a 2014
according to the records post, he said he celebrated
and posts. his 70th birthday at a range
More details also emerged by repeatedly firing his M14
about the two-hour stand- rifle, which he "set up ex-
off in which authorities say actly like the one I used in
Hopkins' gunfire prevented Vietnam."
officers from rescuing com- "I have been shooting
rades who lay bleeding on competitively since 1984
the ground. The slain offi- and lovin' it. I just love the
cer, a 30-year veteran, was smell of gunpowder in the
tearfully described as the mornin's," the post said.
"epitome of a community His competitive shoot-
police officer" by his chief. ing would have begun
Two wounded city offi- around the time he lost his
cers were released from law license over $18,000
the hospital. A third officer in wrongfully collected at-
was listed in serious but torney fees. A court order
stable condition, the police shows that the state Su-
chief said. He said he did preme Court in 1984 al-
not know the conditions lowed Hopkins to pay back
of three wounded sheriff's the debt over time and
deputies. surrender his license rather
Hopkins is accused of than complete a six-month
opening fire Wednesday jail term.
from his home in an afflu- Court documents also
ent South Carolina neigh- show that he was injured in
borhood after deputies Vietnam and received dis-
tried to carry out a search ability payments. The filing
warrant. He also allegedly does not elaborate on the
held children hostage in- injury.
side, authorities said. During the standoff, the
It was not clear exactly sheriff's armored personnel
how the confrontation carrier was brought in to re-
ended. Authorities would cover the wounded.