Cooper sues sheriff's office, former sheriff Hewettt

By CAROLINE CURRAN • STAFF WRITER
George Cooper, the Leland man shot by two sheriffs deputies in May 2007, has sued the Brunswick County Sheriffs Office, Sheriff John Ingram and former sheriff Ronald Hewett.
The lawsuit, filed Jan. 29 in U.S. District Court, claims sheriffs deputies violated Coopers Fourth Amendment rights, to be free from an unreasonable seizure of his person, and excessive use of force.
In addition to the claims of Fourth-Amendment violations, the lawsuit claims Hewett, who has since been removed from office and served a federal prison sentence, manipulated the investigation.
The lawsuit cites the affidavits Gore presented to suspend Hewett from office in March 2008, including a recorded conversation with Hewett immediately following the shooting at Coopers home.
The lawsuit claims Hewett was drunk at the scene of the incident—information corroborated in several affidavits signed by sheriffs deputies.
In the tape, the sheriff tells the three deputies that the SBI has told him that there was no shell in the shotgun. This is an admission that Sheehan and Carlisles story cannot be true, because that type of gun would have a shell in it after being shot, the lawsuit states.
In the tape, which was obtained by the Beacon in March 2008, Hewett, speaking with senior investigators, said, I think the gun is empty. Can I tell you something, man? Aint no damn shell in the gun.
This is a bad damn situation. Weve shot the hell out of a black man at his house, Hewett said.

To read the full story, visit www.brunswickbeacon.com.

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• gun was empty