South Carolina Officer Is Charged With Murder in Black Man’s Death

[serpentdove]

[South Carolina Officer Is Charged With Murder in Black Man’s Death Washington] "A white police officer in North Charleston, S.C., was charged with murder on Tuesday after a video surfaced showing him shooting in the back and killing an apparently unarmed black man while the man ran away.

The officer, Michael T. Slager, 33, said he had feared for his life because the man had taken his stun gun in a scuffle after a traffic stop on Saturday. A video, however, shows the officer firing eight times as the man, Walter L. Scott, 50, fled. The North Charleston mayor announced the state charges at a news conference Tuesday evening.

The shooting came on the heels of high-profile instances of police officers’ using lethal force in New York, Cleveland, Ferguson, Mo., and elsewhere around the country. The deaths have set off a national debate over whether the police are too quick to use force, particularly in cases involving black men.

A White House task force has recommended a host of changes to the nation’s police policies, and President Obama sent Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. to cities around the country to try to improve police relations with minority neighborhoods..." Full text: South Carolina Officer Is Charged With Murder in Black Man’s Death

 

[OCTOBER23]

Let us hear it for Loving your Brother.

 

[serpentdove]

Let us hear it for Loving your Brother.

In fear for his life?

 

[HerodionRomulus]

Southern Hospitality

Southern Hospitality

I saw the video
The man was clearly running away from the cop. The cop fired at least 7-9 times and the man fell.
The officer tells the man to put his hands behind his back: he doesn't respond so the cop grabs his arms and handcuffs him.
The cop walks back to where he had first tasered the man, picks up something, (stun gun?) and walks over to the body and drops it by the man.

Hang him high!

 

[shagster01]

I saw the video
The man was clearly running away from the cop. The cop fired at least 7-9 times and the man fell.
The officer tells the man to put his hands behind his back: he doesn't respond so the cop grabs his arms and handcuffs him.
The cop walks back to where he had first tasered the man, picks up something, (stun gun?) and walks over to the body and drops it by the man.

Hang him high!

About what I saw too.

 

[jgarden]

What does this say about all the other shootings of unarmed black men where the police also claimed that they feared for their lives and there was no video evidence to contradict their stories.

 

[zoo22]

Does any one here have any doubt that if there weren't a video, we'd be listening to how the dangerous thug deserved what he got and the officer feared for his life?

How many folks here will admit to themselves that's exactly what they'd be saying?

 

[patrick jane]

Does any one here have any doubt that if there weren't a video, we'd be listening to how the dangerous thug deserved what he got and the officer feared for his life?

How many folks here will admit to themselves that's exactly what they'd be saying?

video doesn't lie, if it's the one i'm thinking of. every case and every officer is different, it's not a conspiracy against "thugs". i don't know the details yet, so i can't comment. we may find out "he deserved it" ?

it's hard to justify shooting somebody in the back for running away, unless it's a violent felon or attempted murder of law enforcement/citizens or a currently occurring, active or ongoing immediate danger to others and then only if deadly force is required.

but "thugs" don't follow the book, the rules and the law, so sometimes it's shoot now, ask questions later

 

[zoo22]

Does any one here have any doubt that if there weren't a video, we'd be listening to how the dangerous thug deserved what he got and the officer feared for his life?

How many folks here will admit to themselves that's exactly what they'd be saying?

video doesn't lie, if it's the one i'm thinking of. every case and every officer is different, it's not a conspiracy against "thugs". i don't know the details yet, so i can't comment. we may find out "he deserved it" ?

it's hard to justify shooting somebody in the back for running away, unless it's a violent felon or attempted murder of law enforcement/citizens or a currently occurring, active or ongoing immediate danger to others and then only if deadly force is required.

but "thugs" don't follow the book, the rules and the law, so sometimes it's shoot now, ask questions later

Does any one here have any doubt that if there weren't a video, we'd be listening to how the dangerous thug deserved what he got and the officer feared for his life?

How many folks here will admit to themselves that's exactly what they'd be saying?

 

[jgarden]

In addition to claiming that he was being attacked, the police report states that the victim took the officer's taser and that the police tried to resuscitate him.

The video shows the officer picking up what appears to be the taser and then walking over and dropping it beside the body.

As for resuscitation, the video shows the officer cuffed the man face down and then standing back.

 

[zoo22]

North Charleston police officer felt threatened before fatal shooting

A North Charleston police officer felt threatened last weekend when the driver he had stopped for a broken brake light tried to overpower him and take his Taser.

That’s why Patrolman 1st Class Michael Thomas Slager, a former Coast Guardsman, fatally shot the man, the officer’s attorney said Monday.

Slager thinks he properly followed all procedures and policies before resorting to deadly force, lawyer David Aylor said in a statement.

“This is a very tragic event for all of the families,” Aylor said. “I believe once the community hears all the facts of this shooting, they’ll have a better understanding of the circumstances surrounding this investigation.”

Full article

That was before the video surfaced.

 

[aCultureWarrior]

[South Carolina Officer Is Charged With Murder in Black Man’s Death Washington] "A white police officer in North Charleston, S.C., was charged with murder on Tuesday after a video surfaced showing him shooting in the back and killing an apparently unarmed black man while the man ran away.

The officer, Michael T. Slager, 33, said he had feared for his life because the man had taken his stun gun in a scuffle after a traffic stop on Saturday...

U.S. Supreme Court

TENNESSEE v. GARNER, 471 U.S. 1 (1985)
471 U.S. 1
TENNESSEE v. GARNER ET AL.
APPEAL FROM THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE SIXTH CIRCUIT

"...This case requires us to determine the constitutionality of the use of deadly force to prevent the escape of an apparently unarmed suspected felon. We conclude that such force may not be used unless it is necessary to prevent the escape and the officer has probable cause to believe that the suspect poses a significant threat of death or serious physical injury to the officer or others."
http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=us&vol=471&invol=1

 

[annabenedetti]

Does any one here have any doubt that if there weren't a video, we'd be listening to how the dangerous thug deserved what he got and the officer feared for his life?

No doubt at all that's what we'd be hearing. And we'd be hearing how anyone who disagreed with them was "racist."

 

[aCultureWarrior]

Does any one here have any doubt that if there weren't a video, we'd be listening to how the dangerous thug deserved what he got and the officer feared for his life?

How many folks here will admit to themselves that's exactly what they'd be saying?

No doubt at all that's what we'd be hearing. And we'd be hearing how anyone who disagreed with them was "racist."

(White liberal guilt has spoken).

When a thug wrestles away a police officer's service weapon, in your educated opinions (cough cough cough), would that give the officer grounds to "fear for his life"?

 

[zoo22]

No surprise that aCW comes running to defend a cop shooting someone in the back 8 times. It's like watching a pig running for the slop trough.

 

[aCultureWarrior]

No surprise that aCW comes running to defend a cop shooting someone in the back 8 times. It's like watching a pig running for the slop trough.

After all of the tears you and your fellow liberals shed over St. Trayvon Martin and St. Michael Brown, this case must make you feel pretty good widdle fella.

While (as usual) the entire encounter was not shown (where was the car if it was a traffic stop?), this is what concerns me:

A White House task force has recommended a host of changes to the nation’s police policies, and President Obama sent Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. to cities around the country to try to improve police relations with minority neighborhoods..."

Can you say "Gestapo" zoo?

 

[aCultureWarrior]

I don't know about you folks, but I think it's time that the residents of North Charleston celebrate this historic occasion (the public lynching of the police officer will happen after the celebration).

 

[This Charming Manc]

I'd suggest that if the office can shoot a suspect numerous time in the back, that he hasn't had his weapon wrestled from him, and that the thug is no longer a threat.

Now this guy was in the wrong and broke the law but where I come from resisting arrest and assault of a police officer carries a sentence of 6 months and the right to trial.

Not death and summary execution without trial.

Its interesting how a broken tail light quickly escalates into a fight over a weapon, however given the officers reactions after the scuffle, and his ability to lie and deceive, its not inconceivable that he may of had a part in this undue escalation

 

[Caino]

[South Carolina Officer Is Charged With Murder in Black Man’s Death Washington] "A white police officer in North Charleston, S.C., was charged with murder on Tuesday after a video surfaced showing him shooting in the back and killing an apparently unarmed black man while the man ran away.

The officer, Michael T. Slager, 33, said he had feared for his life because the man had taken his stun gun in a scuffle after a traffic stop on Saturday. A video, however, shows the officer firing eight times as the man, Walter L. Scott, 50, fled. The North Charleston mayor announced the state charges at a news conference Tuesday evening.

The shooting came on the heels of high-profile instances of police officers’ using lethal force in New York, Cleveland, Ferguson, Mo., and elsewhere around the country. The deaths have set off a national debate over whether the police are too quick to use force, particularly in cases involving black men.

A White House task force has recommended a host of changes to the nation’s police policies, and President Obama sent Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. to cities around the country to try to improve police relations with minority neighborhoods..." Full text: South Carolina Officer Is Charged With Murder in Black Man’s Death

Well, he did have a broken tail lamp on his Mercedes Benz:car:, we all know how dangerous that is in the community. Better to shoot 70 or 80 times first :CRASH: and blame the victim later then to let a car like that out on the streets!

 

[shagster01]

While (as usual) the entire encounter was not shown (where was the car if it was a traffic stop?),

It doesn't matter . What was shown is an unarmed guy getting gunned down while running away UNARMED.

Even if he did try to steal a weapon earlier (which can't be trusted given that the cop also reported giving the victim CPR which is clearly false in the video) the attempt failed and shots did not need to be fired to prevent it. The guy was running away with no weapon at all.

Do you disagree?

this is what concerns me:

A White House task force has recommended a host of changes to the nation’s police policies, and President Obama sent Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. to cities around the country to try to improve police relations with minority neighborhoods..."

Can you say "Gestapo" zoo?

If this video wasn't taken, you'd side with the killer. Can you say "Gestapo" aCW?