Family dog gave his life to save baby, family from home invader

SPARTANBURG, SC—Raekwon Davante Richardson, 27, has been sentenced to life imprisonment without parole following his conviction for first-degree Burglary and Attempted Armed Robbery in Spartanburg County. The trial, which began on Monday, July 15, concluded on Thursday, July 18, with the jury finding Richardson guilty of the charges, including Possession of a Weapon During Commission of a Violent Crime.

The sentencing was presided over by Circuit Court Judge R. Keith Kelly, who delivered the verdict pursuant to South Carolina’s stringent laws against violent crimes. Under S.C. Code Ann. Section 17-25-45, certain convictions necessitate a life sentence without the possibility of parole.

The charges stemmed from an incident on October 25, 2022, when Richardson and three unidentified men attempted to force entry into a home on Georgia Street in Clifton. The occupants, a family including an infant, were startled by the intruders. During the incident, the family’s dog, Tank, intervened, attacking Richardson but was fatally shot by the assailants.

Despite the trauma, the home’s surveillance system captured the sequence of events, including images of the attackers, which were crucial in identifying Richardson. A neighbor discovered Richardson the following day, injured and uncooperative with law enforcement, leading to his arrest.

This case was highlighted by Assistant Solicitor Spenser Smith for the heroic actions of the victim’s dog, suggesting that the outcome could have been much graver without the dog’s intervention. Richardson’s extensive criminal background includes prior convictions for various offenses, underscoring the severity of his habitual criminal activities.

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