SC man sentenced to decades in prison after a police shoot-out that left a K9 dead
A man will serve more than 30 years in prison after burglarizing a home and killing a police K9, according to the 8th Circuit Solicitor’s Office.
James Robert Peterson, 38, pleaded guilty Monday to one count of first-degree burglary, three counts of attempted murder, one count of resisting arrest with a deadly weapon and and one count of cruelty to a police dog, according to a news release.
He was sentenced to 33 years in prison by Circuit Judge William McMaster, including 28 years on each of the burglary and attempted murder charges and 10 years for resisting arrest. Those sentences will run concurrently. He also received another five years for the cruelty to a police dog charge, which will run consecutively, the solicitor’s office said.
Eighth Circuit Solicitor David Stumbo and Deputy Solicitor Taylor Daniel prosecuted the case. Peterson was represented by Chelsea McNeill and Tristan Shaffer of the 8th Circuit Public Defender’s Office.
In May 2024, Peterson was caught by a Ring camera breaking into a residence in Prosperity while the homeowner was at work, the release said. Deputies with the Newberry County Sheriff’s Office were able to identify the man based on his tattoos and previous interactions with him, according to the solicitor’s office.
Peterson fatally shot K9 Coba of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division a month later with a shotgun as deputies were attempting to serve a warrant on Peterson. Coba shielded three officers in the doorway of a residence Peterson fired out of, the release said. Deputies struck Peterson with returning gunfire; he later recovered.
Stumbo expressed gratitude for the work his team put in to convict Peterson, but urged the state legislature to toughen the penalty for killing a police K9 in the line of duty, the release said.
“Coba nobly served and gave his life for the citizens of our State, and I firmly believe the sentence for such a sacrifice should be higher than five years in prison,” Stumbo said.
This story was originally published March 18, 2025 at 5:14 PM.
