Lotto winner shot by deputies wins settlement

Comment #45

rdgrnr — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 20:21:56 GMT

START being a jerk?

God help us.

Comment #44

tiggs95 — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 19:58:38 GMT

YESSS!!!!..tiggs is going to start being a jerk and see if that helps tiggs to win big...No more Mr nice guy here!!!..

Comment #43

jjtheprince — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 18:28:17 GMT

People like that have all the luck in the world. I bet he could win 5 more Mega Millions and 4 additional Powerball jackpots in the next 10 years if he played regularly.

Comment #42

grwurston — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 20:59:45 GMT

Thanks, Sully. Good luck to you too.

Comment #41

CashWinner$ — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 21:41:20 GMT

Comment #40

sully16 — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 22:19:35 GMT

Thats what I do.

Comment #39

rdgrnr — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 14:46:18 GMT

Next time I use Jello instead of Tapioca Pudding.

And put it in a ziplock bag first.

Comment #38

sully16 — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 10:24:20 GMT

I wonder if he puts Jello in his shoes also.

Comment #37

TheGameGrl — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 05:56:03 GMT

I endorse the verification of legitimate winners to the Public.

DOnt have to have a picture, DO have to go thru screening though. Fair compromise. Keep the name private/Keep the legitimacy public though....It can be done.

Comment #36

tiggs95 — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 14:56:50 GMT

Having sex in the outhouse is normal to you....by yourself tiggs might add....

Comment #35

rdgrnr — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 14:49:43 GMT

Sounds pretty normal to me.

Comment #34

sully16 — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 11:13:56 GMT

wow,I new he wasn't right.

Comment #33

sully16 — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 11:12:15 GMT

I would keep a big win secret, good luck to you.

Comment #32

sully16 — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 11:09:25 GMT

Many good people tried to fix it, no luck

Comment #31

grwurston — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 03:21:39 GMT

Sad to say, but there are L.P. members who win fairly regularly and some people will call them out and say; Prove it, print out your ticket so we can see it, because they didn't put their numbers on the prediction page, or they don't believe someone can win more than they do. If that happens over someone winning the pick 3, it really makes me think twice about even playing the jackpot games. Sure XXX million dollars is nice, but with the publicity, and every one trying to get a piece of it by an... [ More ]

Comment #30

TheRightPrice — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 02:19:35 GMT

I did some reading up on this guy on LP. Looks like he's been plagued with all types of problems. 3 ex-wives (2 of them sisters) several children in and out of wedlock etec etc etc. Looks like this 3.5 million will be spent quickly.

Comment #29

haymaker — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 01:39:05 GMT

real shame,whats happened to one of our greatest cities.

last time i drove gratiot i could't belive my eyes.

Comment #28

tiggs95 — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 00:06:59 GMT

If they would have shot the old man in the head there would have been no settlement..Case closed...

Comment #27

rdgrnr — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 23:01:23 GMT

If the cops learn anything from this it should be that a 9mm doesn't get the job done very efficiently.

I'm guessing that's what they had after all those hits and the guy's still walkin' around.

Give me a 45 anyday, Kimber, if you don't mind.

Comment #26

HaveABall — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 20:41:44 GMT

Well, getting shot five times by one police officer and two times by the other (good aim) is dreadful on one's own property. I believe that the police officers knew who owned the property, and what the homeowners looked like. Certainly, any good training should have told the two police officers that their uniforms probably weren't identifiable in the dark, and so should have identified themselves upon hearing halt from possibly a homeowner!!!

I think that $3.2 million dollars, nontaxable, pa... [ More ]

Comment #25

TheRightPrice — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 20:38:55 GMT

Thank you!

Players should be given the CHOICE whether or not to have their picture taken and name released.

Give people a CHOICE. In today's age with internet and other technologies, it's too easy to track down a winner and do them harm.

Comment #24

maringoman — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 20:17:35 GMT

Police officers shooting innocent people is nothing new. The only thing thats new is

that everybody got cameras on their cell phones and also cameras are everywhere.

I'm glad the guy who was shot sued and will get compensated heavily. Police brutality is real

Comment #23

redhot7 — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 19:56:14 GMT

Hear, hear

Comment #22

Boney526 — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 18:44:55 GMT

Make it a Super PAC.

They can recieve unlimited contributions and give out unlimited money without telling anybody who they got it from, who they gave it to or how much they have.

- I realize the Supreme Court Decision was definetely the proper one, according to Constiutional Law and history, but I think that maybe the Constitution should be amended to limit how much money an individual or group can contribute to a candidate for Federal Elections. The whole Super PAC thing just s... [ More ]

Comment #21

rdgrnr — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 16:36:29 GMT

Good info and advice sully, thanks.

Comment #20

fwlawrence — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 16:18:43 GMT

Better be careful. Your former co-worker may think he is entitled to that $6.

Comment #19

sully16 — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 16:11:58 GMT

I read the article, sounds like both parties are lying , the cops should be fired and charges brought for destroying evidence, The victim, clearly needs to take responsibility for his own stupidity, he went out into the dead of night with a loaded weapon, hid in the bushes and laid in wait, you only do that if you have intentions to harm, clearly, I believe people have the right to defend their home and property, but he went about it the wrong way.

Growing up in Detroit , I have witnessed ma... [ More ]

Comment #18

sully16 — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 15:48:49 GMT

Ridge, the video, gives no answers to the questions, I asked, someone posted a link to an article, I'll check that out maybe there's more info, how reliable it is remains to be seen.

Comment #17

rdgrnr — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 15:44:13 GMT

Roger that.

Comment #16

Littleoldlady — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 15:32:05 GMT

Not being a lottery winner does not stop folks from breaking in your house...even with you in it

Comment #15

rdgrnr — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 15:29:44 GMT

No, it was probably me that missed something major cuz I didn't see the video.

I only know what I read in the article. I can understand it then if there was all that other stuff. Thanks.

TN doesn't allow backwoodsmen and hillfolk to get hi-speed internet so we can watch videos. They think we're too excitable and will see videos of people playin' banjos and start clog dancin' all over the place and embarrass the flatlander city folk in front of the yankee tourists. I'm thinkin' about s... [ More ]

Comment #14

Boney526 — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 15:18:15 GMT

Maybe I missed something major, but it sounds to me like he didn't call them, the police witnessed the robber flee through his backyard and pursued without any warning to the owner of the home. There was a recording on one of the police officers radios, which was still on. In it, they found no evidence that they called out the fact that they were officers until after shooting.

But I could have missed something.... If I did he probably got the settlement on the grounds that the officers w... [ More ]

Comment #13

rdgrnr — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 15:16:03 GMT

If this guy called the cops about a burglar in his yard and then was stupid enough to be standing in the yard with a gun in his hand when the cops arrived...

And then wouldn't drop the gun when instructed to...

Well, I gotta wonder how he got a settlement on this case. Sounds like the County was just scared of public opinion ruling in court.

And maybe it is time for the government to put people's safety before their advertising campaigns.

Comment #12

truecritic — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 15:11:47 GMT

In addition to all the reasons given so far, those deputies should be personally sued for being such awful shots!

They are too dangerous to be allowed to have guns if they can't hit the target! In a more public shootout, innocent civilians would be killed by them, instead of a criminal.

Comment #11

Boney526 — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 14:36:14 GMT

It should be a felony for police to destroy evidence - these cops should go to jail for a very long time.

Why is that they can shoot people, destroy the evidence and not get in trouble for it, just lose their case. That's ridiculous, I think police who are caught destroying evidence should be JAILED for YEARS.

Comment #10

hearsetrax — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 14:28:29 GMT

Comment #9

jeffrey — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 14:17:34 GMT

the police were probably trying to seize the property by killing him and planting drugs. this way they would get everything and be able to live on the take style i hope they can read.

Comment #8

kennedygrandma — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 13:21:31 GMT

Love your comments they on point when I win I will have a Judge friend of mine help me collect anonymous and if anybody finds out it's me I will just tell them a friend I know won and just gave me a little money to buy me a new home ect. or just move away where nobody knows me. Good luck on hitting it big

Comment #7

dpoly1 — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 12:55:18 GMT

I agree that everone should be able to remain anonymous!

Too many Greed of Envy poeple around ............. they have the right to everything!

A former co-worker of mine told me he has the right to come to my house and take what he wants, if he is down and out !!!!!!!!!!!!!! I told him that is why I have a gun loaded with hollow points !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

On another note ........... I have won $3 on two consecutive Powerball Drawings ................. can the big win be next

Comment #6

Starr920 — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 12:43:22 GMT

IMO, Mr. Swofford deserves every penny of that settlement. He was shot seven times while defending his property. The two police officers were not able to prove their case and, in fact, were sanctioned by the court for destroying evidence. Source: http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Justice/2011/0124/Supreme-Court-declines-appeal-in-lottery-winner-s-excessive-force-suit

Comment #5

sully16 — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 12:40:40 GMT

I agree, they should let winners remain anonymous, To many people scream cheater cheater if they don't know who won, Wth his money he could have a state of the art security system, going out to confront someone in the middle of the night is plain stupid.

Comment #4

TheRightPrice — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 12:31:26 GMT

I hear ya Sully, BUT had this guy not won Lotto, no one would be interested in burglarizing his property. Why can't people win and be happy

Comment #3

sully16 — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 12:17:50 GMT

The police told him to drop his weapon, Did he know they were police? Did he call them ? Were the police supposed to assume he was the homeowner?

If your a cop and you tell a suspect to drop their weapon and they don't, I say blast away, Sounds like it was bad decision making on both sides.

If there is someone in my yard, I am not going to confront them, if you break into my house, your going to be full of buck shot.

Comment #2

luisM — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 12:08:45 GMT

OMG! You are absolutely correct.

Comment #1

TheRightPrice — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 12:03:16 GMT

Wow! Ok here are my thoughts.

1. The Lottery Curse Strikes again

2. Why in the world does Florida Lotto INSIST in making winners public???

3. Recently in The Lottery Changed My Life a Florida doctor who won 56 million had someone tamper with her brakes and she had to relocate to a new safer neighborhood

4. Let's not forget that poor Abraham Shakespeare who won 30 million was hounded by deadbeats who eventually killed him

Folks, we all play Lotto in hopes of living our dreams,... [ More ]

Lotto winner shot by deputies wins settlement

Lottery Post — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 11:46:59 GMT

Includes video report

The Seminole County Sheriff's Office will pay a $3.2 million settlement to a Florida Lottery winner who was shot in his own back yard.

Deputies said they thought Robert Swofford Jr. was a burglar when they opened fire on him in April 2006.

Swofford, who won $60 million in the Florida Lotto, was shot four times.

He filed a lawsuit in 2007, claiming the sheriff's office failed to properly train its deputies.

Lawyers decided to settle the lawsuit last week.... [ More ]