# DILLON, S.C.



## kwflatbed (Dec 29, 2004)

Dillon County deputy shoots man throwing baseballs


Associated Press 

DILLON, S.C. - A Dillon County deputy shot a man twice in the legs after he would not stop throwing baseballs at cars and people, Sheriff Harold Grice says. 


A man wearing a baseball uniform was throwing baseballs outside the Dillon Video Store on state Highway 34 around 8 a.m. Saturday, Grice said. 

Cpl. Charles Hester confronted the man, who threw baseballs and a bat at him, the sheriff said. 

Hester fired four shots and two hit Thomas Gaeta, 46, of New Jersey in the legs, said Chief Deputy Douglas Pernell. "When you throw a baseball bat a someone, it's a deadly weapon," Pernell said. 

Gaeta was taken to the hospital and released the same day to the county jail, where he was charged with possession of a deadly weapon, assaulting a police officer, and malicious damage to property, Grice said. 

The State Law Enforcement Division is investigating the shooting. Hester has been put on administrative leave. 


Copyright 2005 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


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## Guest (Aug 2, 2005)

If one of those cars went out of control and killed someone, the outcry would have been "Why didn't the deputy use whatever means to stop him".
But, then again, if he was playing baseball, the deputy would have stood right where the ball was headed and not felt threatened.


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