Posted on 04/08/2015 3:53:26 AM PDT by from occupied ga
North Charleston, S.C. — A white police officer in South Carolina is charged with murder after a bystander recorded video of him shooting and killing an apparently unarmed black man in the back as he ran way from the scene of a traffic stop.
The New York Times posted the video Tuesday. It is disturbing. (Scroll down to see video.)
Officer Michael T. Slager, 33, claimed he feared for his life because the man took a stun gun during a scuffle Saturday, but the video does not confirm that.
The video shows Slager firing eight times and shooting Walter L. Scott, 50, in the back as Scott loped away across a grassy lot.
Scott was driving a Mercedes-Benz and had been stopped by Slager for a broken tail light, according to police reports cited in the Times story.
“At the time, Scott was wanted for arrest on a Family Court warrant, Charleston County sheriff’s Maj. Eric Watson said Tuesday.” (Source: The Post and Courier)
The police reports said Slager fired his Taser at Scott, and Scott turned to run away from the gun’s electrical current, which could be seen extending from his body.
I agree. The cop should get his day in court, but at this juncture it really does appear he is in the wrong.
Applause to the police who arrested one of their own.
Conservatives should never forget that. That should be our guiding light.
You know that when he tried to arrest the guy the cop told him “put your hands behind your back” so he could cuff him.... the guy ran instead... and by God, he was gonna make the guy put his hands behind his back. That’s what prompted all of this.
This guy never should have been a cop. Sad to watch.
No comment until I find out what the traffic stop revealed. Police never shoot except at fleeing felons.
The criminal on which end of the gun? Because if you give police a license to kill on sight then you are turning them into crimimals as well.
The wasy it is supposed to be is that deadly force is used to prevent death or injury to the police officer or the surrounding polulace. This was not a stop for a violent crime, it was for a bogus tail light. The victim was unarmed, not wanted for any violent crime, and of absolutely no threat to the life or safety of the officer or anyone around. There was no justification whatsoever for shooting that man. The murder charge against the police officer is totally justified. And charges should also be brought against the other officers who attempted to help him cover up his crime.
Looking at the vid I see no reason for the cop to shoot.
Don’t know all details but if it’s only pull over for tail light and outstanding warrant, this implies two things to me:
1) cop ran tags before pulling him over.
2) cop verified ID and found outstanding family court warrant, i.e., not a felon.
As such, even if the guy flees the scene, the cop could impound his car, issue an APB, and let other cops hunt him down while he’s processing the vehicle.
Of course the biggest caveat here is, is the article correct?
Cop found out he was wanted for arrest on a family court warrant and tried to arrest him. Probably the guy hadn’t paid his child support or something.
He had a history of charges for non-payment of child support. He was pulled over for a busted tail light. Do those justify being gunned down on the street?
Too many reactionaries who can’t think objectively.
From what we know it looks like murder and has been charged as murder with bail denied. It has nothing to do with any other case anywhere at any time.
I can’t imagine what was even going through that cop’s mind to shoot a person who was that far away and running the opposite direction. Its not like the guy just murdered the Governor or something.
I’m not a trained police officer and I would not shoot a person who was already out of my yard and running in the street away from me. They had the man’s information. They know where he lives and works. They had his vehicle. Where was he going to go?
Yep... I agree.
This should help ‘ease’ the racial tension in this country /s.
Solution:
When YOU’RE the one with the gun, don’t pump rounds into the back of someone running away, because your life is no longer in danger.
“I’m not a trained police officer and I would not shoot a person who was already out of my yard and running in the street away from me. They had the man’s information. They know where he lives and works. They had his vehicle. Where was he going to go?”
Thank you for common sense.
Slager had no business being a police officer in the first place.
I blame lack of competent police department management for allowing this man to remain a police officer.
The family is correct in filing a civil suit against the city for its hiring practices, allowing unqualified persons to be employed in the police department.
These dirty cops threads always get the statist thugs to self identify.
I suspect we will get some more Ferguson style entertainment out of this.
I’m surprised CNN isn’t running “Long Hot Summer” promos.
“Too many reactionaries who can’t think objectively.”
Go look in a mirror. My point was clear; this case will be exploited by agitators to make political hay, to prove that the lie in Ferguson was the truth after all; there will be unprecedented agonizing; this case will be exploited forever.
I think we are in agreement on this.
How about you explain how running AWAY from the cop endangers the cop's life?
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