SC - Walter Scott, 50, fatally shot by North Charleston PD officer, 4 April 2015 - #1

[LietKynes]

WHY was he running from the cop in the first place? Obviously something went down prior to the portion of the video we can see. What was it?

RSBM

According to the video in the link from KEVINinTO ; they were struggling over something, like grabbing at each other. At some point something falls to the ground beside the officer (tazer ?). Then Scott takes off running.
Also, Scott was wanted on a previous warrant ; he was actually pulled over for a missing tail light.

Good thing there is video, otherwise who knows what would happen ?
:moo:

 

[Brightbird]

WHY was he running from the cop in the first place? Obviously something went down prior to the portion of the video we can see. What was it?

What could have happened that would make it okay to shoot someone 8 times in the back running away?

 

[al66pine]

"Originally Posted by TrackerSam I heard the officer meant to draw his taser and drew his pistol by mistake and fired."

JMO-Is there a main stream media report that the officer shot the victim 8 times "by mistake"?
I saw the video, can't see how that is possible.

The LEO who 'drew by gun instead of taser by mistake" = different case, different state, not SC.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/04/us/tul...ing/index.html

 

[Elizabella]

I agree with some of the posts above. As you can see here, the media is trying to make this a black/white issue. They do not even mention the black officer who was also present.

http://wavy.com/2015/04/07/sc-officer-charged-with-murder-for-shooting-motorist/

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — A white South Carolina police officer was charged with murder Tuesday, hours after law enforcement officials viewed a dramatic video that appears to show him shooting a fleeing man several times in the back.

North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey announced the charges at a hastily called news conference in which he said City Patrolman Michael Thomas Slager made “a bad decision.”

The shooting, which began as a traffic stop, occurred as Americans grapple with issues of trust between law enforcement and minority communities after a series of deaths of unarmed black men at the hands of police.

In the Charleston case, authorities said the victim, 50-year-old Walter Lamer Scott, was shot after the officer already hit him with a stun gun.

Why even mention the ethnicity? A similar issue occurred where I live where a white officer shot and killed an unarmed white woman who decided to flee. Barely a whisper made the news. Had she been black, I have no doubt it would have been reported everywhere. Anyway, the questions I have about this case are:

- If he was pulled over for a taillight, why was he out of the car fleeing the police?
- Do we know for sure the victim was unarmed?
- If the victim was hit with the stun gun first, why didn't it work?
- How can the officer say the victim tried to take his stun gun if he had already used the stun gun against the victim?
- If the cop was trying to plant evidence, would he try doing it right in front of his partner?

 

[Hatfield]

Very disturbing video on CNN being replayed over and over.

It sure looks to me like the officer was trying to plant evidence.

I see no way this shooting can be justified. Not from the video at least.

There is no telling what happened before the video started but no matter what may or may not have happened the guy was running away and was shot in the back. They say the officer shot about 8 times.

The charges against the officer seem to be the right thing in this case. I just cant see any way this can be justified at all.

 

[oh_gal]

Running from a cop isn't the best idea but running does not make it okay to shoot someone. To shoot someone IN THE BACK. The officer had no reason the fear for his life. The VICTIM was running away unarmed.

Totally agree with you. I am usually the first person to run to LE's defense...but not in this case. This was murder.

 

[Hatfield]

This is JMO

I think sometimes officers just get mad at people and lose it.

Its one of the reasons I hate watching the "Cop Shows". I have seen way too many of those episodes where the alleged criminal starts running away and the officers go on a foot chase that inevitably ends in them tackling the guy and usually 2, 3, or 4 of them eventually jump on the guys back to handcuff him. Then they all get up and start high fiving each other like they enjoyed it. To me, those shows are very disturbing too and I find myself rooting for the bad guy.
They should not be enjoying rouging up people IMO.

Which brings me back to thinking that sometimes officers just get plainly mad at people. Especially if the alleged suspect breaks free and starts running. They sometimes have no restraint it seems. And when they reach for their gun and the other guy doesnt even have one like in this case, then we see the result.

Many good cops are out there and I think this case and some others are examples of bad cops not doing their job right and just losing their temper and someone ends up dead.

Another less deadly example is if anyone has ever been pulled over by a cop who seemed to be extremely mad at you and you dont even know what you did to cause his anger.
I once got pulled over and the cop was enraged at me. I still dont know what happened except i think I didnt notice he was trying to pull me over and by the time I pulled over he thought I was ignoring him. I was afraid of this guy as he got very mad at me and I had no idea what I had done.

Just glad more and more videos are out there to help stop this sort of thing.

I have to think and hope that most cops are good cops and thinking this sort of thing is hopefully just a select few bad cops that end up on TV like this case.

 

[wfgodot]

Here's A News Report We'd Be Reading If Walter Scott's Killing Wasn't On Video

 

[i.b.nora]

According to an early report, Slager's first attorney said Slager stopped his cruiser behind a Mercedes-Benz sedan with a brake light that was "out and not working" that had pulled into Advance Auto Parts on Remount Road. And the report goes on, the driver fled, etc...

I wonder if Walter Scott stopped at the Auto Parts store to get a replacement lamp for his brake light that was "out and not working"?

 

[Leilei]

Live press conference on CNN right now, with city officials.

ETA: The officer has been fired.

 

[~Lyric~]

I am NOT shocked.

There are way toooo many of these shootings/beatings etc etc that Officers do get away with.
There are so many that don't have a thing to do with race.
I've seen so many video's that I can't even look at them anymore.

As I read earlier, why didn't this Officer call for back up, He may already have had this man's info from the stop.
There was another Officer there! I want to know what he has to say.
You see him at the victim's head at the end of the video..
Yes I said Victim. This is what Mr. Scott is.

Why did this Officer not call for back up and run after him???????????? Why?????????

 

[LaLaw2000]

PC was about to get out of control when someone was shouting "No justice, no peace". I pray this doesn't become another Ferguson.

I watched the videos and feel that this officer cannot mistake his taser for his weapon, and if any one of them ever says this, they are lying.

This was a traffic stop for a broken tail light, FGS! I do not know why Walter Scott ran, but he certainly didn't deserve to be shot 8 ROUNDS and IN THE BACK!!! Give chase, yes, but shoot a man in the back? NO!! This makes me furious.

It is right that Slager be charged with murder, IMO. He shot a man in the back 8 times. THAT is murder.

Whoever the hefty man was that was speaking in the last segment of this PC just lied. He said he didn't know if Slager was CPR certified. All officers are CPR certified before they can graduate from the academy. That is a fact.

Sorry, folks. I am furious over this shooting/murder. It is LE like Slager that makes good officers look bad, IMO.

ETA: Ok, I have read there were 8 shots to the back of Walter Scott, and just now read it was 5 shots. Were 8 shots fired and 5 actually hit him?

 

[Elizabella]

I'm glad the department did the right thing so quickly. Usually the officer is put on paid leave and a lengthy investigation takes place.
I am curious though. If Mr. Scott had taken hold of the stun gun and took off with it in his possession, would the cop have been acting within his authority to open fire? Is it possible that the cop thought he had it, not realizing it fell to the ground? Just curious, as in sure it's going to be his main defense during the trial.

 

[i.b.nora]

I just watched the video again (this is about the tenth time I have watched it) and see that there is a second video as well, that continues the view of Scott's body being tended to by two people with the officer Slager standing nearby with another officer who is talking with him.

I viewed it thru the NYTimes video included in the article at:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/...lager-shoots-man-in-back-video_n_7021134.html

Maybe everyone else has already seen the second video.

 

[LaLaw2000]

In a one word answer, Elizabella, NO!!! You fight force with 'like' force. A stun gun is not a lethal weapon.

Slager is guilty of murder, IMO. He can try anything his lawyer advises but it won't hold up.

MOO

 

[LaLaw2000]

I've seen both videos and still maintain Slager was not in danger. Scott was running from him with his back turned. Slager was not in danger, IMO. At that point I think he may have just been mad.

JMO

 

[shadowraiths]

BBM

Summey and the city’s chief of police announced at a news conference that Slager, 33, would be charged and arrested. Slager, who has been fired, was arrested by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, the agency investigating the shooting, and booked into the Charleston County jail shortly before 6 p.m. on Tuesday. He faces a possible death sentence or life in prison.

[...]

Slager told the dispatcher, “Shots fired and the subject is down, he took my Taser,” according to the portion of the report filled out by another officer who relayed what he heard.

The video shows Slager picking up an item and placing it near Scott, though it is unclear if this is the Taser or something else. Police later said that Scott was hit with the Taser at least once, because part of it was still attached to him when other officers arrived on the scene. But city officials said that Scott was clearly too far away to use a Taser if he did have it.

​

link

 

[shadowraiths]

EXCLUSIVE: Michael Slager’s Attorney Dumped Him As Soon As He Saw Video

David Aylor on his ex-client who's been charged with murder after he was seen shooting Walter Scott eight times in the back.

The lawyer who first represented Michael Slager, the North Charleston police officer charged with murdering Walter Scott on Saturday, said he dropped his client soon after a video emerged showing Slager shooting Scott eight times as he ran away.

Charleston attorney David Aylor told The Daily Beast that he took on Slager as a client on Saturday, the day of the shooting, and removed himself as counsel on Tuesday afternoon. Aylor said he wouldn't go into detail about his brief representation of Slager thanks to attorney-client privilege but he spoke generally about the situation. The following has been lightly edited for clarity.​

link

 

[Margo/Mom]

I heard the officer meant to draw his taser and drew his pistol by mistake and fired.

Eight times?

 

[Margo/Mom]

I'm curious to know if Scott's fingerprints are on the taser, tbh.

Doubtful. The video shows the LEO picking it up and the place he began shooting and placing it next to the body.