Man gets life sentence for killing 2 officers and wounding 5 in South Carolina ambush

Published October 18, 2023 10:08 PM

By JEFFREY COLLINS
Associated Press

FLORENCE, S.C. (AP) — A 79-year-old man has been sentenced to life in prison without parole for killing a South Carolina deputy investigating his family over sexual abuse and an officer responding to the shooting. Investigators say Frederick Hopkins wounded five other officers in October 2018, firing from a sniper’s nest set up behind an oak desk in the sunken den of his home in an upscale Florence neighborhood. Hopkins was a Vietnam veteran who was awarded medals for marksmanship. Hopkins says he was suffering from post traumatic stress disorder when police arrived and thought he was back in Vietnam. Prosecutors took the death penalty off the table in exchange for the guilty pleas.

Article Topic Follows: AP-National

Jump to comments ↓

Associated Press

BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION

KVIA ABC 7 is committed to providing a forum for civil and constructive conversation.

Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. You can review our Community Guidelines by clicking here

If you would like to share a story idea, please submit it here.