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Randolph Neal Seamster’s family wants answers.
Seamster, 22, of Pelham, N.C., was shot and killed by a member of a Halifax, South Boston and Virginia State Police Regional Narcotic/Gang Enforcement task force, at Sheetz in South Boston, on Wednesday night, according to state police.
Seamster’s aunt, Angela Meredith, answered the phone at the family’s Pelham home Saturday and said she has been designated the family spokesperson about Seamster’s death.
Meredith said the family was originally told by a police official that Seamster was not a target in the task force’s investigation. Since then, she said, the official is no longer returning the family’s calls.
Meredith said Seamster and a female friend had stopped at Sheetz on their way to Buggs Island, near Clarksville, where he was starting a new job Thursday.
She said the family has been told Seamster purchased rolling papers and that officers saw he had marijuana.
“I understand pot is illegal, but he wasn’t a drug dealer; he had enough pot on him to roll a joint,” Meredith said. “He wasn’t a drug dealer or a gang member.”
She said three of the plain-clothed officers approached the vehicle Seamster was driving, scaring him and his companion.
“They thought they were being carjacked,” Meredith said. “He threw the car in reverse, and clipped two of the (three men who had approached). The third man shot him through the windshield.”
She said none of the officers identified themselves as they approached.
“You don’t shoot and kill an unarmed 22-year-old just because he had marijuana,” Meredith said. “He had no weapons whatsoever. All he had on him was $2.30 and enough pot for a joint.”
Sgt. Dave Cooper, of the Virginia State Police, said Saturday that the incident is still under investigation.
Asked if Seamster had any weapons on him when he was killed, Cooper said, “I can’t release that information at this time.”
Meredith admitted Seamster has had some run-ins with law enforcement before, and has been convicted of DUI, assault and possession of marijuana.
She said reports that he attempted to kill the officers are wrong, and the reports released so far have “ruined the reputation of a 22-year-old kid.”
“If you’re a plain-clothes officer and approach someone, you should have the common sense to identify yourself as an officer,” Meredith said. “They know they’ve messed up.”
Contact Denice Thibodeau at or (434) 791-7985.
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Reader Reactions
( snooper ) yea lets think logically, who are you to judge ! i dont think you know all the story hear! is it just in your nature to judge people that you didnt even know! well let me tell you something you are not perfect nor iam ! and this was somebody baby! and before you get on a chat line saying the things you are saying maybe you need to rethink at what you are saying ! i dont care if your a cop ! and the cops were wrong in this ! if you are so call one then you would know this too!this man wasnt a bad person and was love by so many people! he didnt deserve to die like this!
( nanacoleman1 thanks for thr truth!
SNOOPER I SUPPOSE THAT IS A FAIR NAME FOR YOU. AS I WAS EATING MY DOUGHNUT I DECIDED TO GLANCE BACK AND LOW AND BEHOLD. I AM SORRY TO YOU LOSS A LOVE ONE BUT JUST BECAUSE YOU DID DOES NOT GIVE YOU THE RIGHT TO BE JUDGE AND JURY. THIS WAS SOMEBODIES CHILD THAT’S DEAD. SO ARE YOU GLAD BECAUSE OF YOUR FRIEND. THIS IS WHAT IS WRONG WITH OUR SOCIETY AND THEN WHEN WE GOT PEOPLE WITH NO HEART OR COMPASSION FOR THEIR FELLOW MAN AKES ME WONDER? WHAT KIND OF ROLE MODELS ARE WE TO OUR YOUTH. DOES EVERYTHING HAVE TO BE DONE BY FORCE. NOW SNOOPER WHO TOLD YOU THEY SAW HIM ROLL A JOINT. SO THE FACT STILL REMAINS A YOUNG MAN HAD TO DIE FOR A JOINT COME ON GET REAL. YOU PEOPLE ARE SO QUICK TO JUDGE. SNOOPER YOU CAN’T BE A GOD FEARING MAN I’VE READ ALOT OF YOUR COMMENTS AND IT’S ALWAYS FULL OF NEGATIVITY. ALL THE FAMILY ASKED WAS QUESTIONS THAT’S WHAT THEY NEED ANSWERS. SEVERAL MONTHS AGO A YOUNG FAMILY MEMEBER OF MINE WAS STABBED TO DEATH A YOUNG MOTHER A GRUESOME DEATH IT TORE HER MOTHER AND THE FAMILY UP. WE ARE GOD FEARING PEOPLE I DON’T RECALL SAYING OR THINKING THE KILLER SHOULD DIE AS WELL. “THOU SHALL NOT KILL IS A COMMANDMENT”. YOU NEED TO READ THAT ARTICLE AGAIN CAUSE YOU TELLING THE STORY LIKE YOU WAS ONE OF THE OFFICERS. AND LET’S NOT FORGET SOMEONE ELSE WAS IN THE CAR. IF HE THOUGHT THEY WERE COPS AND HE ONLY HAD A JOINT HE WOULD HAVE ATE IT SAY’S MY TEEN NEPHEW IT’S NOT LIKE HE HAD A POUND. EVERYTIME YOU HEAR A DRUG ISSUE YOU RELATE WITH YOUR FRIEND AND THAT’S WRONG. AND DON’T YOU DARE SIT THERE AND ACT LIKE YOU KNEW EXPERIMENTED WITH DRUGS OR ALCOHOL OKAY BILL CLINTON. I AINT HERE TO JUDGE YOU NOR SHOULD YOU. OH BY THE WAY WHEN NANA AINT EATING DOUGHNUTS SHE DOES AND ALWAYS HAS TRIED TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE BUT JUST NOT FROM MY WINDOW JUST MAYBE YOU SHOULD LOOK OUT SIDE THE BOX. AS FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT I MY FRIEND SERVE A HIGHER POWER THAT PROTECTS I’LL TELL HIM ABOUT YOU TOO. DON’T SIT HERE AND VENT IT’S NOT WHAT IT’S ABOUT. PEOPLE DO MAKE MISTAKES YOU KNOW COPS ARE NOT INVISIBLE THOUGH SO THINK THAT WAY. SO AGAIN I WILL SAY COULD THIS INCIDENT HAVE BEEN HANDLED ANOTHER WAY WITHOUT FIRING A SINGLE BULLET AND KILLING SOMEONE’S CHILD THAT WASNT FIRING BACK! I’M SURE EVEN YOU HAVE DONE THINGS THEN THOUGHT MY I COULD HAVE HANDLED THAT SITUATION DIFFERENTLY?
ANGEL, lets think logically. If the driver runs over the police then in your opinion, since you said that he was a good person, he would also be guilty of a sin. I guess that it is ok for an officer to die and leave a family. If a driver runs you or a family member over and kills one, do you want the police to stand by and do nothing? That is where society is pushing law enforcement to. Whatever a officer does is scrutinized by people such as you and some of the others that have commented. We are meant to put our hands in our pockets and say “I don’t want to get involved”. We did not take this job for that reason. We took the job to help EVERYONE. Even the ones that don’t like us. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think that it is right that anyone pulls a trigger to kill anyone. The fact remains that we have the right, that’s you as a civilian and I as an officer, to protect myself and others around me from getting injured to the point of death. And to quote the Bible and say “Thou shalt not kill”, was the driver saying that when he was about to hit an officer?
( Yougottabekidding) YOU ARE INSANE PERSON!( The police are not killing our children nor the drug pusher, WE ARE!! )SORRY TO TELL YOU BUT !THAT COP PULL THE TRIGGER!(THOU SHALL NOT KILL )ITS IN THE BIBLE ! NOW THAT COP IS GOING TO HELL!
The police are not killing our children nor the drug pusher, WE ARE!!( Yougottabekidding) !THE FACT IS!THAT COP PULL THAT TRIGGER!DONT BE STUIP! (THOU SHALL NOT KILL) THATS WHAT GOD SAID TO ALL THE PEOPLE OF THE WORLD! !A FACT! I REST MY CASE !
We do not know all of the facts and with Halifax County we may never know.
grim reaper THAT IS TOTALY RIGHT!!!!!!!IT AMAZE ME THAT PEOPLE CAN LEAVE THE COMMENTS THAT THEY LEAVE! IF IT WAS THERE FAMILY OR FREIND
THEY WOULD BE OUT RAGE LIKE IAM ! THIS IS A FACT THE POLICE ARENT INOCENT AS POEPLE PUT THEM AS !THEY ARE EVERYDAY PEOPLE LIKE ME AND YOU. THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS THEY GOT A LITTLE EDUCATION! AND ARE TRAINED TO KILL!AGAIN THEY COULD HAVE DONE SOMETHING DIFFERENT!!!!!!!!!!!!
We do not know all of the facts and with Halifax County we may never know. I do not use drugs or alcohol but can�t say I would not have reacted the same way if I thought I was being carjacked; it is bad enough with all of the aggressive panhandler that hang out there. I would guess that in the end there may be some suggestion that the cops used excessive force but that will probably be the end of it until the family hires an out of state lawyer and sues. It amazes me the way most people dismiss the death of this kid as if he were nothing; I would guess most of the posters would sing a different tune if they knew him or the family. His head stone could read, here lies Mr. Seamster, killed for enough pot to roll a joint.
YOU( SNOOPER )NEED TO GET A LIFE!WHO ARE U TO JUDGE .YOU HAVE THE NERVE TO SAY THE THINGS U ARE SAYING THIS COULD HAVE BEEN ANY OF YOU GUYS THAT ARE LEAVEING THESE COMMENTS! NOBODY ON THIS EARTH IS PERFECT SO U NEED TO STOP RIGHT THERE ! I KNEW THIS BOY AND LET ME TELL YOU HE WAS NOT VIOLENT HE WAS THE MOST CAREING AND LOVEING MAN.HE WASNT A DRUG DEALER NOR A GANG MEMBER.ALL HE LIKE TO DO WAS GO FISHING AND RIDE HE,S FOUR WHEELER.NOW THESE ARE FACTS AND THE TRUTH! IAM SO SICK OF YOU IDIOTS SAYING THE POLICE WAS IN THE RIGHT! ALL U ARE GOING BY IS HEARSAY HOW MANY PEOPLE WAS THERE THAT NIGHT. SURELY WASNT ANY OF YOU THAT ARE LEAVEING THESE COMMENTS!AND ALSO THAT WASNT HIS G-FREIND HE WAS WITH ! SHE WAS ONLY A FREIND! THEY COULD HAVE SHOT OUT THE TIRES OF THAT CAR BUT THEY CHOSE TO MURDER HIM! THEY HAD OTHER CHOICES BUT DIDNT DO IT!KEEP WATCHING U GUYS BECAUSE THIS IS NOT THE END TO THIS !THIS MAN MEANT A LOT TO ME AND IAM NOT GOING TO LET HIS LIFE GO OUT LIKE THIS! AND THATS A PROMISE!!!!!!!!!!
I can surly see many sides to this. I have 2 opinions, and they are both very different. Do we set police up to arrest people who buy papers or blunts because we “know” that they are going to get high? Do we set police at convenience stores to attest people who buy beer because we “know” that they have bought enough to get drunk and they might drive? Where do we draw the line? On the other hand why trust and go by the judgment of our trained police offers, they are trained to do this, if we as common citizens could do what out police force deal with on a daily basis, why would we need them in the first place. “under-cover” is exactly what is means they don’t have DEA tattooed on their foreheads. Without having some rights as a police officer / DEA what would make them different from any other ordinary vigilante. As for losing our YOUTH if more parents did just that PARENT, these kids would not be on the street, don’t throw stones when one lives in a glass house. The police are not killing our children nor the drug pusher, WE ARE!! Come on take a little responsibility people!!
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