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

[Kutnupe14]

I think one tidbit people are missing, is that the officer fired his taser at the suspect, but it "did not stop" him. It took me a couple of times to notice it, but you can actually see the wires from the discharged taser. Officer then drops the taser, and transitions to his sidearm, and blasts away. Obviously, the suspect didn't take his taser. It's pretty damning. This officer's goose is cooked, and rightly so. If this guy doesn't see a lengthy jail sentence, I'd hate to be the officers that have to deal with the protests.

 

[ModernGunner]

The video clip sure doesn't appear to show any justification for the LEO. Would like to know the events up to the time the video starts.

The story given so far, that Scott took the Officers' Taser, sure wouldn't justify the actions shown on the video clip.

 

[2001FZ1]

After watching this video and seeing the officer move the taser to the victim's body, how can anything in his report viewed as creditable? If he is found guilty, what happens to all the other cases he was involved in? It is highly unlikely this is the very first time this particular officer didn't follow the law when attempting to arresting a citizen. He knew immediately that he had to move that taser.

 

[Lebowski]

I hope this video will do good in the effort to not let laws be created and passed that would make filming police officers illegal.

Also, kuddos to the person who had the balls to record and film the officer and had the sense to give it to the lawyer of the victim.

 

[BiscuitNaBasket]

Question... If the Ofc who shot is found guilty, are his past reports & arrests then discredited and scrutinized by a investigative committee?

 

[jamil]

Cell phone video shows police officer shooting man in back eight times | Twitchy

Justice will be served. Everyting will turn out fine. Geraldo will join the protests if he's acquitted.

 

[halfmileharry]

Just imagine how many times lack of video has let murderous cops stay on the job.

One is too many.

 

[ArcadiaGP]

Media is running with this

https://twitter.com/sallykohn/status/585787519360446464

Creating words, and putting them in Conservative mouths... apparently the cop was totally in the right. (Except no one is saying this)

 

[T.Lex]

In Indiana, I think this would end up as Voluntary Manslaughter (under the theory that officer's actions were the result of "sudden heat" caused by confrontation) or Reckless Homicide. I'm not saying its right or wrong, just how I think it would play out.

The facts support a murder charge - knowingly or intentionally killing someone. I just don't think a jury would go for it. There would be some recognition of the officer's "status" and sympathy for him. But, not enough for an acquittal. For murder, they would want some sort of premeditation or motive.*

If they could plea it to one of those lesser-includeds, I think both sides would consider it a win.

* If the officer has any prior disciplinary issues, ESPECIALLY anything even vaguely racist, that changes things. Greatly.

 

[Woobie]

Media is running with this

https://twitter.com/sallykohn/status/585787519360446464

Creating words, and putting them in Conservative mouths... apparently the cop was totally in the right. (Except no one is saying this)

It wouldn't do to have conservatives standing on the side of a murdered black man. We've already established that they are supportive of killing unarmed black teenagers. This is why I don't watch or read the news: I refuse to support these scuzzballs.

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

I see a big difference in this case and others in recent history. I don't want to see anyone else killed over this but I sure wouldn't blame people for protesting if justice is not served.

Like someone said, this shooting went down just like some witnesses said (and it's really not impossible that it did) the Michael Brown shooting went down.

I think the big difference in this case is that there is clear video documentation of the interaction. Everyone believes this one is murder after watching the video, but how would this discussion be going if there were only witness accounts and no video?

The way it stands, I think this officer is going to be served up, not only for his own sins, but for the perceived and accused sins of other police officers as well.

 

[Woobie]

Like someone said, this shooting went down just like some witnesses said (and it's really not impossible that it did) the Michael Brown shooting went down.

I think the big difference in this case is that there is clear video documentation of the interaction. Everyone believes this one is murder after watching the video, but how would this discussion be going if there were only witness accounts and no video?

The way it stands, I think this officer is going to be served up, not only for his own sins, but for the perceived and accused sins of other police officers as well.

And those witnesses couldn't jive their account with the other facts of the case, either. These cases are unrelated. There's a thread for the Michael Brown shooting.

 

[IndyGlockMan]

Looks like the cop was in the wrong, but we don't know everything that lead up to the shooting so we have to refrain from judgement and let the legal system work


However, the shooting never would have happened if the guy would have stopped and obeyed the officer.
Not saying the officer did the right thing, but it's better to not get shot.

 

[ArcadiaGP]

And women shouldn't dress like that, totally asking for it.

 

[T.Lex]

Keep in mind, and this is totally looking at it with the results in mind, if the guy had a legitimate fear for his life or serious bodily injury from the officer, it makes sense that he would run.

I haven't read every report, but it didn't sound like there were any warrants for the guy, or that he was a mope or anything. From his perspective, if he was doing everything right, and still got tased, it would be reasonable to think that a curb stomping (at least) was coming next. Fight or flight response kicked in and he started running (slowly, I might add).

The officer's report of a "struggle" seems suspect at this point. If there was no struggle, then dude was getting tased for nothing. I probably would've tried to separate myself, too, in that moment.

 

[ArcadiaGP]

However, the shooting never would have happened if the guy would have stopped and obeyed the officer.

Do you know this for a fact? In the mind of the victim, the situation kept escalating. Who's to say this officer wouldn't have kept escalating it to a fatal conclusion?

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

And those witnesses couldn't jive their account with the other facts of the case, either. These cases are unrelated. There's a thread for the Michael Brown shooting.

And without a clear video, I just think it's worth considering whether the witnesses to this shooting might also fail to JIBE their accounts.

Unrelated?

 

[Denny347]

Looks like the cop was in the wrong, but we don't know everything that lead up to the shooting so we have to refrain from judgement and let the legal system work


However, the shooting never would have happened if the guy would have stopped and obeyed the officer.
Not saying the officer did the right thing, but it's better to not get shot.

I'm not one to grab the pitchfork and call for an officer's head without all the facts but this disturbs me. Yes, we do not see the events that led up to this. However we do see the officer shoot the suspect as he is CLEARLY running away. The officer then picks his Taser up from the ground, walks it over the the suspect, and drops it next to him. The officer then makes an official statement that the suspect got the officer's Taser away from him, forcing him to use deadly force, a clear lie based on what we saw. This supersedes any prior struggle not seen on the video. The moving of evidence and the lie is enough to show that he knew this was a bad shoot from the start. Murder is appropriate for this as the officer made a conscious decision to shoot a fleeing suspect AFTER the suspect was 15ft or so away from him, plenty of time for the officer to determine that the suspect posed little threat. Any defense of the officer's perception (suspect made some move as he was running that put the officer in fear for his life, etc) at the time of the shooting is invalidated by the altering the crime scene and the obvious lie. He had time to decide to chase after him but decided to stand and shoot him in the back. I'm glad the citizen came forward with this video, justice HAS to be served. What a jury does with this is anyone's guess. He has proven that he was a wolf in sheepdog's clothing. We can never become the thing we fight. Everything The Police Said About Walter Scott's Death Before A Video Showed What Really Happened | ThinkProgress

 

[BehindBlueI's]

Do you know this for a fact? In the mind of the victim, the situation kept escalating. Who's to say this officer wouldn't have kept escalating it to a fatal conclusion?

Pretty much, yes, we do know that. What compliant motorist has been shot? I sincerely doubt he pulled him over to kill him. Fight or flight changes the dynamics.

 

[T.Lex]

Everything The Police Said About Walter Scott's Death Before A Video Showed What Really Happened | ThinkProgress

I think the PD/SLED suspected something wasn't right before the video showed up. The shell casings would've been quite a ways away from where the guy fell. If there was a "struggle for the taser," it would make more sense for it to be a point-blank situation. It also sounds like the officer's narrative went through a couple iterations.

Clearly, the video is the most important evidence. But, since the dude lawyer'd up early and the PD appears to have gone silent after the initial press statements, I think they had a good idea it was a bad shoot.