Shootout that killed police dog lands SC man in federal prison, prosecutor says
A South Carolina man who is already behind bars will spend more time locked up after pleading guilty to a federal crime after a shooting where a police dog was killed, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
James Robert Peterson, a 38-year-old Prosperity resident, was sentenced to more than 12 years in federal prison after he pleaded guilty to a charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said Wednesday in a news release.
This is the second conviction for Peterson connected to the June 11, 2024, shootout in Newberry County. In March, Peterson pleaded guilty to three counts of attempted murder, and single charges of first-degree burglary, resisting arrest with a deadly weapon and and cruelty to a police dog, according to the 8th Circuit Solicitor’s Office.
Peterson was sentenced to 33 years in prison on the state charges, the solicitor’s office said.
On June 11, 2024, Peterson was found in possession of a firearm while law enforcement officers tried to arrest him on a felony state warrant, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in the release. Peterson has prior convictions that prohibit him from possessing firearms, according to the release.
Peterson used the gun to fatally shoot South Carolina Law Enforcement Division K-9 Officer Coba during the incident, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Coba died in the line of duty as SLED was assisting the Newberry County Sheriff’s Office attempt to apprehend Peterson on a burglary charge, according to the release.
Peterson was also shot during the incident, but has since recovered, SLED said.
No other injuries were reported.
Coba
Coba was a 4-year-old Belgian Malinois mix who joined SLED in 2021, according to the law enforcement agency. The dog had been deployed 300 times and apprehended 16 criminals, according to Lt. Keith Thrower, who oversees SLED’s K-9 tracking team.
“He was always ready to put himself in harm’s way,” Thrower said. “You could feel Coba’s intensity, whether he was on a fugitive or SWAT call, there was never any doubt that he did not have your back.”
Coba shielded three officers in the doorway of a residence where Peterson opened fire, The State previously reported.
“Coba nobly served and gave his life for the citizens of our State,” Solicitor David Stumbo said following Peterson’s conviction on the state charges.
Punishment
U.S. District Judge Jacquelyn Austin sentenced Peterson to 150 months imprisonment, to be followed by a term of court-ordered supervision, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. The maximum punishment for the federal charge was 15 years in prison, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was investigated by the ATF, the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department and SLED.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elle Klein led the prosecution for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, according to the release. Public defender Tristan Shaffer was listed as Peterson’s attorney, court records show.
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