SC officer charged with murder in man's death. Video catches him plant evidence.

[D-Ric902]

I can see it now, "I went back to grab it so some 5 year old kid didn't run up and play with it. I just wanted it nearby while I was checking on the perp."

What at a fool, you kneel down to "check" on him and lay the Tazer on the ground. Not drop it in full view

 

[phylodog]

That guy is lucky to be alive. We need to instill in all police that life has value. I've seen two videos in this thread where two different officers demonstrated a lack of this belief.

So the actions of two officers should be a representation of the other 799,998?

 

[Woobie]

I can see it now, "I went back to grab it so some 5 year old kid didn't run up and play with it. I just wanted it nearby while I was checking on the perp."

Thats a pretty shaky leg, but from up here in the cheap seats, that looks like the only one he's got to stand on.

 

[Woobie]

So the actions of two officers should be a representation of the other 799,998?

Absolutely

 

[BehindBlueI's]

Id like to know if the other officer there told investigators about the taser being placed by Scott prior to the video being released.

With reduced sensory input it's likely he does not notice it dropped. Tunnel vision means he's likely fixated on the shot person. Imagine you're marginally trained in first aid, someone tosses you a first aid kit and you're kneeling in front of someone shot multiple times. Where is your focus?

I think most people know about the basketball gorilla experiment by now, and you aren't stressed when you watch that.

 

[g00n24]

With reduced sensory input it's likely he does not notice it dropped. Tunnel vision means he's likely fixated on the shot person. Imagine you're marginally trained in first aid, someone tosses you a first aid kit and you're kneeling in front of someone shot multiple times. Where is your focus?

I think most people know about the basketball gorilla experiment by now, and you aren't stressed when you watch that.

Even if he did notice it and didn't mention it to anyone this is a perfectly plausible defense of his action/non-action.

 

[chipbennett]

With reduced sensory input it's likely he does not notice it dropped. Tunnel vision means he's likely fixated on the shot person. Imagine you're marginally trained in first aid, someone tosses you a first aid kit and you're kneeling in front of someone shot multiple times. Where is your focus?

I think most people know about the basketball gorilla experiment by now, and you aren't stressed when you watch that.

It didn't "drop". He tossed it down.

 

[GlockRock]

With reduced sensory input it's likely he does not notice it dropped. Tunnel vision means he's likely fixated on the shot person. Imagine you're marginally trained in first aid, someone tosses you a first aid kit and you're kneeling in front of someone shot multiple times. Where is your focus?

I think most people know about the basketball gorilla experiment by now, and you aren't stressed when you watch that.

You're right. I think my wording made it appear that I was condemning the other officer, when I didn't mean to.
Back when I was a young officer I was the first on the scene of an officer involved shooting. I was so focused on doing CPR on the suspect that I totally missed another officer move a knife that the suspect had in his hand when he was shot. When I was asked about it by the detectives I had no clue what they were talking about. Since then, my tunnel vision has widened greatly.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

It didn't "drop". He tossed it down.

Please, let's debate this meaningless distinction without a difference just to have something to argue about.

The point is he may not have noticed it being influenced by gravity and coming to a stop in the grass after being released from the grasp of the other officer.

 

[chipbennett]

Please, let's debate this meaningless distinction without a difference just to have something to argue about.

The point is he may not have noticed it being influenced by gravity and coming to a stop in the grass after being released from the grasp of the other officer.

Mea culpa. I misunderstood, and thought you were talking about Slager, instead of the other officer.

 

[Woobie]

With reduced sensory input it's likely he does not notice it dropped. Tunnel vision means he's likely fixated on the shot person. Imagine you're marginally trained in first aid, someone tosses you a first aid kit and you're kneeling in front of someone shot multiple times. Where is your focus?

I think most people know about the basketball gorilla experiment by now, and you aren't stressed when you watch that.

Wait, what Gorilla?

 

[Kutnupe14]

Wait, what Gorilla?

The one behind the bear

 

[oldpink]

The one behind the bear

You must mean ManBearPig, right?

 

[AA&E]

So the actions of two officers should be a representation of the other 799,998?

Not at all, but there have been a number of questioned shootings and deaths in the US in the past year (no, not referring to Michael Brown) which indicates one of two possibilities in my opinion.

a) some officers with a general disregard for the value of life

or

b) some officers that walk around so scared of their own shadow they have no business being in this business.

The officer involved in the seatbelt violation shooting asked him for his license, the suspect turned around to get it and the officer immediately drew his weapon and fired. That said..

we teach safety training to every federal employee regardless that less then .001% actually get injured at work. Every federal employee has to take annual security training even though a very small percentage of people expose the DOD to risks. Every federal employee has to take sexual harassment training even though only a small fraction of people are the source of the problem...

see where this is going?

 

[Alpo]

Please, let's debate this meaningless distinction without a difference just to have something to argue about.

Perception is often reality. A prosecutor would have a field day with that toss if all other things were equal (which they weren't). I suggest that it adds to the shooter's obvious indifference.

 

[Dean C.]

Fleeing Felon rule he is going to jail for a long time. But this entire situation is tragic the 50 year old man was not running very fast at all, but no instead of giving chase lets just shoot him 8 times in the back (i seriously doubt all 8 connected but still). I want the death penalty in this case, the public needs to know at this point that police officers can and will be punished to the furthest extent of the law. To me this was a summary execution.

 

[D-Ric902]

I agree with the tragic

are we gonna start debating the "thin blue line"

 

[Kutnupe14]

Fleeing Felon rule he is going to jail for a long time. But this entire situation is tragic the 50 year old man was not running very fast at all, but no instead of giving chase lets just shoot him 8 times in the back (i seriously doubt all 8 connected but still). I want the death penalty in this case, the public needs to know at this point that police officers can and will be punished to the furthest extent of the law. To me this was a summary execution.

I don't think the death penalty is the correct call in this case. I don't think the officer when he pulled his gun thought "I'm going to kill this guy, and then plant my taser next to him." My gut tells me, he didn't rely on his training and anger momentarily got the best of him. Unless one thinks he was going to successfully tase the guy first, and then shoot him, then it seems obvious that he initially tried to take the victim alive. I think 25 to life is appropriate (hopefully on the high end).

 

[BehindBlueI's]

Mea culpa. I misunderstood, and thought you were talking about Slager, instead of the other officer.

No problem. I was wondering why the fixation. Honestly glad we got that resolved.

Wait, what Gorilla?

Its a pysch experiment that's been done in multiple variations that shows the human brain sucks at multitasking. Your eyes "see" everything, but your brain only has so much processing power. When you focus on a task, that task takes up a certain percentage of your processing power, leaving you "blind" to other things.

[video=youtube;vJG698U2Mvo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJG698U2Mvo[/video]

This is an EXTREMELY important thing to realize about human perception, why its so important to train to the point things are instinctive and take up less "processing power", etc. I won't side track this thread further, but its something I've been really interested in and read quite a bit on over the years.

Perception is often reality. A prosecutor would have a field day with that toss if all other things were equal (which they weren't). I suggest that it adds to the shooter's obvious indifference.

Remember the context. When I said toss I wasn't talking about the shooting officer, I was talking about the perception of a bystander fixated on a different thing. I think I've been pretty clear that tampering with evidence is definitely part of why this guy is deeply in the wrong. I think the perception and the reality are lockstep on this one.

 

[T.Lex]

Death penalty sidenote:
Generally, a perpetrator can't get the death penalty for only killing 1 person. Needs to have an aggravating factor such as multiple murders, commission of another felony (usually enumerated, such as rape, arson, burglary, something like that). I do not believe any of those other aggravators apply to this situation.

Somewhat ironically, killing a police officer - just one - is usually an aggravator. So, while the officer is probably not eligible for the death penalty, if the victim had killed the officer, he would be.

(I understand the risk that this observation may send this thread into a downward spiral, but that doesn't mean it isn't true.)

ETA:
SC death penalty aggravators:

South Carolina-
(1)The capital offense was committed during the commission of, attempt of, or escape from a specified felony (such as robbery, kidnapping, rape, sodomy, arson, oral copulation, train wrecking, carjacking, criminal gang activity, drug dealing, or aircraft piracy)
(2) The defendant knowingly created a grave risk of death for one or more persons in addition to the victim of the offense
(3) The defendant committed or attempted to commit more than one murder at the same time
(4) The murder was committed for pecuniary gain or pursuant to an agreement that the defendant would receive something of value
(5) The defendant caused or directed another to commit murder, or the defendant procured the commission of the offense by payment, promise of payment, or anything of pecuniary value
(6) The defendant has been convicted of, or committed, a prior murder, a felony involving violence, or other serious felony
(7)The murder of a child 11 years or younger
(8) The victim was a government employee, including peace officers, police officers, federal agents, firefighters, judges, jurors, defense attorneys, and prosecutors, in the course of his or her duties
(9)The victim was a county or municipal corrections officer, a county or municipal detention facility employee or former county or municipal facility employee
(10)The victim was a family member of a governmental official
(11)The murder was committed against a witness or potential witness in a criminal proceeding to prevent the witness from appearing
(12)The defendant raped a child