# What THE HECK was this guy shot with? (video not graphic) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 12, 2026, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-was-this-guy-shot-with-video-not-graphic/1026623 "2026-01-12T23:28:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2026, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-was-this-guy-shot-with-video-not-graphic/1026623/1 "2026-01-12T23:28:11Z")
A police officer supposedly shot last night in the Law Enforcement Center parking lot. But the video looks exactly like fireworks, and left a huge burned dent (not to mention huge holes) in the car. > **[New video, information surfaces about man accused of ambushing, shooting...](https://www.wyff4.com/article/greenville-officer-shot-suspect-new-video/69979187)** > > Video shared with WYFF News 4 shows the man accused of ambushing and shooting a Greenville police officer on the morning of the shooting. [https://www.wspa.com/news/local-news/greenville-police-officer-ambushed-suspect-dead-after-shootout/](https://www.wspa.com/news/local-news/greenville-police-officer-ambushed-suspect-dead-after-shootout/) Is there any way that visual and damage could have been from something other than fireworks? ---
**Author:** ![ricepad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@ricepad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ricepad)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2026, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-was-this-guy-shot-with-video-not-graphic/1026623/2 "2026-01-12T23:31:07Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > [Video shows officer shooting suspect before shooting](https://www.wyff4.com/article/greenville-officer-shot-suspect-new-video/69979187) Flare? ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2026, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-was-this-guy-shot-with-video-not-graphic/1026623/3 "2026-01-12T23:35:37Z")
That seems like far too much damage for a flare. [![](https://i0.wp.com/www.wspa.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/53/2026/01/GPD-car-shot-2_01.11.2026-rotated.jpeg?strip=info&w=2000&ssl=1) ](https://i0.wp.com/www.wspa.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/53/2026/01/GPD-car-shot-2_01.11.2026-rotated.jpeg?strip=info&w=2000&ssl=1) ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2026, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-was-this-guy-shot-with-video-not-graphic/1026623/4 "2026-01-12T23:35:43Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > Is there any way that visual and damage could have been from something other than fireworks? Yeah, that’s a [Roman candle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_candle_(firework)). ETA And after seeing the damage, that wasn’t a firework! ---
**Author:** ![wolf11469](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf11469/32/12464_2.png) [@wolf11469](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf11469)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2026, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-was-this-guy-shot-with-video-not-graphic/1026623/5 "2026-01-12T23:35:48Z")
Might be a dragons breath 12 gauge round. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2026, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-was-this-guy-shot-with-video-not-graphic/1026623/6 "2026-01-12T23:48:00Z")
Whatever it was, it was a lot more than one of them. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2026, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-was-this-guy-shot-with-video-not-graphic/1026623/7 "2026-01-13T00:05:06Z")
Jewish space lasers? ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2026, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-was-this-guy-shot-with-video-not-graphic/1026623/8 "2026-01-13T00:13:53Z")
> [@wolf11469](#): > > Might be a dragons breath 12 gauge round. That’s the first thing I thought. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2026, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-was-this-guy-shot-with-video-not-graphic/1026623/9 "2026-01-13T17:15:31Z")
The punctures look like buckshot. I don’t know if Dragon’s Breath shotshells have pellets (let alone 00 shot). ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2026, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-was-this-guy-shot-with-video-not-graphic/1026623/10 "2026-01-13T21:40:58Z")
If that photo is authentic, it must be a munition of some kind. Any one of those punctures looks easily enough to kill a horse and there’s about 10 of them. I’m a pretty healthy man and doubt I’d be able to dent a cruiser door like that with any number of bare kicks or hands. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2026, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-was-this-guy-shot-with-video-not-graphic/1026623/11 "2026-01-14T13:41:38Z")
> [@wolf11469](#): > > Might be a dragons breath 12 gauge round. That was my first thought too. For those that aren’t familiar with it, Dragon’s Breath is basically an incendiary shotgun round, usually using magnesium pellets (if I recall correctly). Here’s a youtube video of someone shooting Dragon’s Breath at night. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/jYRGEKZOObo/maxresdefault.jpg "Dragons breath 12 gauge at night") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYRGEKZOObo) Dragon’s Breath is legal in some states, illegal in others and banned within city limits in some areas due to its incendiary risk (it’s been known to start wildfires). I believe it is legal in South Carolina where the shooting took place. The damage on the car looks consistent with a 12 gauge shotgun round to me. People may hide behind car doors in TV and movie shootouts, but in reality the metal in a car door is pretty thin. The only real safe place to hide behind a car is where the engine block is between you and the shooter. 12 gauge shotgun vs. car door: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/7U-PJIs_1gc/maxresdefault.jpg "00 Buckshot Vs Car") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7U-PJIs_1gc) ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2026, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-was-this-guy-shot-with-video-not-graphic/1026623/12 "2026-01-14T16:34:48Z")
> [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#): > > People may hide behind car doors in TV and movie shootouts, but in reality the metal in a car door is pretty thin. Even a modern compound bow can easily shoot an arrow through car doors. I have no idea what was used, but that video is something else. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2026, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-was-this-guy-shot-with-video-not-graphic/1026623/13 "2026-01-14T23:14:28Z")
And here’s one of someone shooting it at a car: [https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ZX1u68W2Y0Q](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ZX1u68W2Y0Q) (warning: language… “holy fuck shit, that’s cool as shit!”) The richocheted sparks look similar to the OP’s videos. But in the original video, it looks like they fired several shots in quick succession. A semi-auto shotgun? Those same rounds were featured in one of the recent John Wick movies, and apparently became a lot more popular as a result: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkxVhFg81fs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkxVhFg81fs) ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2026, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-was-this-guy-shot-with-video-not-graphic/1026623/14 "2026-01-15T03:10:25Z")
Whether by intent or not the guy that shot the police car shot over the top of the side impact beam. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2026, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-was-this-guy-shot-with-video-not-graphic/1026623/15 "2026-01-15T03:36:30Z")
I think the video looks like a 1980s action movie. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2026, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-was-this-guy-shot-with-video-not-graphic/1026623/16 "2026-01-17T05:08:50Z")
I’m not an arms expert but it doesn’t look like a singe dragon’s breath shot based on the videos of the pruduct. A shotgun would show a massive flare from the muzzle at night. Slowing the video down it looks like at least 5 rounds were used and the fireworks begin on contact so I’d guess incendiary rounds were used as stated in the news article. They can be purchased or made. It was a tight grouping of holes but it was also 10 feet away so that’s not hard. It looks like the shots come from inside the car or close to the edge which suggests a right handed person. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2026, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-was-this-guy-shot-with-video-not-graphic/1026623/17 "2026-02-26T03:15:30Z")
They’ve released video of the pursuit of the shooter. > **[Newly released video shows chase after Greenville officer ambush](https://www.foxcarolina.com/2026/02/25/newly-released-video-shows-chase-after-greenville-officer-ambush/)** > > In January, officials said a Greenville officer was sitting in his patrol car when a suspect drove up next to him and fired incendiary ammo that sent sparks flying. > **[Dashcam footage shows deadly chase after fiery attack on Greenville officer](https://www.wyff4.com/article/officer-ambushed-shot-greenville-county-new-video-sc/70503248)** > > Dash cam footage has been released showing the ambush and shooting of Officer Gio Alberto in Greenville County, leading to a car chase that ended with the suspect's death. Plus, on top of being shot the poor officer had to attend the State of the Union. > **[Greenville officer hurt in fiery ambush attends State of the Union](https://www.foxcarolina.com/2026/02/24/greenville-officer-hurt-fiery-ambush-attend-state-union/)** > > Senator Tim Scott made the announcement during a press conference on Tuesday. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2026, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-was-this-guy-shot-with-video-not-graphic/1026623/18 "2026-02-26T14:12:33Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > Plus, on top of being shot the poor officer had to attend the State of the Union. Talk about an unwanted dose of lizard breath…