Police officer charged with murder in South Carolina after shooting unarmed man in the back. What do you think of cases like this?
More on the story: http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/07/us/south-carolina-officer-charged-murder/index.html
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXO3Ix_GIyI
Throughout North Charleston most traffic stops that I've witnessed had a minimum of two police cars, sometimes as many as four. Why there weren't more officers present for backup is a bit baffling, but ultimately, as we can see from the video...this officer chose to shoot an unarmed man in the back while he was fleeing. Pathetic.
This appears to be an act of homicide, I don't see how the officer or an objective observer can justify the use of force.
This demonstrates the URGENT need to develop, use and train police officers on non-lethal means needs to be protect the officer and the public.
The officer needs to be tried by jury and if found guilty, convicted.
This is a sad day for the family of the deceased caused by the officer who failed to follow any type of escalation of force rules.
The citizens of South Carolina should demand actions to prevent this type of action in the future.
This family needs to be compassionately responded to by the major or responsible civil authority.
Everything The Police Said About Walter Scott’s Death Before A Video Showed What Really Happened
A unique opportunity to observe how one police officer sought to avoid accountability for his actions.
First, the video is inflammatory and damning; however, it is without context. We (the royal we) should have grave concerns, and we should demand answers, but we simply don't know (and we won't know until there is a thorough comprehensive investigation) all of the facts surrounding the event.
I'm not saying the police officer is right; or that he is wrong. I'm saying let the process take place, and the actual entire truth will eventually come out; not the mere seconds of video, but the whole unadulterated truth. Despite the widely publicized failures in the system, if we are patient enough to set aside our emotion and take a more intelligent approach, most times the system/process works just like it should. During the course of my career, I have been associated with a number of police officers who have been party to deadly enforce encounters. Those who did what they should were exonerated. Those who did not suffered the consequences including jail sentences.
Remember, none of us swore an oath to protect an individual. We all swore an oath to protect and defend the US Constitution. That Constitution provides for an exhaustive deliberate process by which we as society bring forth justice. Let's honor our oath. Let's be smart enough to let the process work. The whole truth will come out.
Second, what makes this so shocking is that it doesn't happen every day. If the police were wild renegade crazy people shooting whoever they pleased and this happened daily, we would just come to expect it. The media's 24 hour a day cable news cycle seeking sensational stories to drive rating colors our judgment, but the actual facts don't support a nation oppressed by police. Quite the contrary. I read recently that there are 600,000 to 700,000 law enforcement officer in America today. How many of those officers very professionally without anyone noticing resolved their calls for service; investigated potential criminal suspects; arrested those suspected of committing offenses; completed traffic stops having either issued a summons or a warning; or interacted in a hundred other ways with the society that pays their salary without a hint of violence? And how many were involved in some behavior that dishonored their oath? We think about the exception; not the rule.
Third, to say this happens on regular basis is unsupportable by the facts. It simply doesn't and anybody willing to purge themselves of the emotion attached to this issue and truly study the facts will find such clear cut evidence to that end. Almost everybody I've ever talked to about police misconduct has no idea what they're saying. When questioned carefully, suddenly they know a guy who knows a guy who was actually there; or they don't understand how/why police officers do what they do, and subsequently chalk it up as misconduct.
To say that police make tough decisions and there shouldn't be consequences for those decisions is not fair to society or the police for that matter. From failure, comes improvement. When the police don't do as well as we expect, then there has to be a careful examination of the circumstances, and steps taken to mitigate any such event from occurring later.
To say that because it rarely happens is to say that it's not a problem isn't fair to society or the police either. Society asks much of it police, and it should expect their best effort every day. Bad police officers make it hard on good police officer because the 24 hour a day media will beat this horse until far beyond its death without ever acknowledging the success stories that happen every day without notice because we don't celebrate quiet successes in this country anymore. We ruminate on the failures of others because that sells advertising.
A final thought. I'm continually amazed at the number of people with whom I have contact who with no training, experience, education or insight are perfectly comfortable telling me how poorly I do my job; or even how to do my job. How many of those people would take the same approach with the doctor treating them for cancer? Or the dentist filling their tooth? Or their lawyer pursuing correction a legal wrong? Or for that matter the plumber unclogging their drain? Food for thought.
"According to the police reports, the shooting unfolded after Officer Slager stopped a Mercedes-Benz with a broken taillight. Walter L. Scott, aged 50, is alleged to have made a run for it with officer Slager chasing him into a grassy lot. The officer then alleges he fired his Taser and that Scott ran off with the taser, threatening the officer."
What does the cop do after the shooting. He moves the taser to the side of the victim. He had no weapons, was fleeing, and wasn't a threat. I can understand shooting one in the back if they are a danger to others nearby or if they were armed. But in the video I didn't see him threatening the officer. I didn't hear any commands either. It is pretty damning for the cop.
We (LEOs) are all trained in standing laws regarding fleeing felon & when deadly force is authorized in such cases - ONLY when the fleeing suspect poses an immediate threat to others. This suspect does not appear to be carrying anything while fleeing.
I do not think that this is a prevalent issue with LEOs. Due to recent media coverage it appears that it is rampant & that is what the uninformed will believe because that is what is presented to them. We must remember, there are only 2 things that sell in the news: sex & death.
I could not vote it is rare so it is not a problem. It is certainly a problem in this case.
Police shot a 15 year old 6 times in the back as he started running away from him.
Witnesses and everything.
No video though.
The cop walked.
It is more common than you think Capt (Join to see) .
Re: Rice, where were his parents? Did he look like a 12 y/o to you in that video? Also, the video doesn't tell you how long the officers had been developing the situation. You can't wait for an innocent bystander to get shot. Not trying to justify anything, just thinking as a police officer facing a potentially dangerous situation.
Unfortunately, the media selectively highlights divisive cases. Dillon Taylor, an unarmed white man, was killed by a black officer around the same time that Brown was killed in Ferguson. Did you know about this? Most people don't. Fact: none of these people were model citizens. Criminals, as in repeat offenders and regardless of race, have no place in our society, even if they're my relatives.
http://theweek.com/speedreads/447379/why-isnt-media-covering-killing-unarmed-white-youth-by-black-police-officer
Why isn't the media covering the killing of an unarmed white youth by a black police officer?
The case of Michael Brown, the unarmed, black teenager shot and killed by a white police officer, continues to make headlines weeks after the incident sparked riots and outrage in Ferguson, Missouri, and prompted a national debate.Meanwhile, the case of Dillon Taylor, a white 20-year-old shot and killed by a black policeman outside a 7-Eleven in Utah has received virtually no media coverage beyond local news reports. His brother, who was with...