A 79-year-old man from South Carolina has avoided a potential death sentence by admitting guilt in the case of ambushing police officers who came to his home. This attack resulted in the deaths of two officers and injuries to five more.
Frederick Hopkins, the man in question, unexpectedly appeared in court in Aiken County, which is about 120 miles from where the incident occurred in October 2018. He faced charges of two counts of murder and five counts of attempted murder.
While Hopkins will be sentenced later, his attorney, Boyd Young, revealed to the media that the prosecutors had agreed to remove the death penalty as an option. Instead, Hopkins could receive a prison sentence ranging from 30 years to life for the murder charges.
The incident unfolded when three deputies from Florence County went to Hopkins' residence in an upscale neighborhood to execute a search warrant against his son on possible sexual abuse charges.
Hopkins, a decorated Vietnam War veteran, armed himself at an upstairs window and opened fire on the deputies as they exited their vehicle. He continued shooting as more officers rushed to the scene to assist their colleagues.
The intense gunfire, involving powerful weapons, necessitated up to 30 minutes to get an armored vehicle close enough to rescue the wounded officers. Hopkins used three firearms in the ambush, and over 100 guns were discovered in his home.
Sgt. Terrence Carraway of the Florence Police died on the day of the shooting, while Florence County Sheriff's deputy Farrah Turner succumbed to her wounds nearly three weeks later. Hopkins' son, 33-year-old Seth Hopkins, pleaded guilty in 2019 to second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor and is serving a 20-year prison sentence.
The case involving Frederick Hopkins has largely remained shrouded from the public eye. At times, hearings involving him have been closed to the media and the public, with motions and records kept off South Carolina's public court records site.
During hearings where cameras were present, Hopkins exhibited erratic behavior, including addressing prosecutor Ed Clements as "Fat Eddie." In a later hearing, he appeared in a wheelchair with a hearing assistance device.
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