Another cop "fears for his life" - Officer Michael Slager Shooting Unarmed Black Man In The Back

[RavenSky]

The confrontation started when Slager had reportedly pulled over Scott because of a broken taillight. It escalated into a foot chase as Scott allegedly fled because there were family court-issued warrants for his arrest. Slager pursued Scott into a grassy lot and claimed that he fired his Taser to subdue him.

Moments later, Slager reported on his radio, “Shots fired and the subject is down. He took my Taser,” according to the Times.

Earlier this week, an attorney for Slager said the cop felt threatened after Scott tried to overpower him and take his Taser.

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

Video on the New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/video/us/100000003615939/video-shows-fatal-police-shooting.html

The problem with that story is the video shows different. It shows Walter Scott "running" - barely more than a limping walk - away from Slager, Slager never even attempts to give chase. Slager simply pulls his gun and shoots Scott eight times in the back.

Slager claimed that Scott took his taser. The video shows Slager planting something next to Scott's dead/dying body. It appears to be the taser that Scott did not take.

Slager claimed that he administered CPR to Scott in an attempt to save his life. The video shows that he did not.

Can't wait to see how some people defend this cop and blame the dead black man.

 

[Tom Sawyer]

The man could have stopped running, turned around, charged the officer, taken his gun and shot him. With that sort of risk present, I agree that shooting him the back was the only reasonable option.

 

[Angry Floof]

The man could have stopped running, turned around, charged the officer, taken his gun and shot him. With that sort of risk present, I agree that shooting him the back was the only reasonable option and then planting a taser on the guy's body to make it appear as if the guy had taken it from the cop and therefore posed a threat.

FIFY.

 

[Derec]

Congratulations! It looks like your side finally has what it has been desperately seeking since Michael Brown - a bad shoot of a black man by a police officer.
Otoh, I doubt it will make much difference to the hardcore activists as they are still talking about the "murder of Michael Brown" despite the facts.

All that said, it was incredibly (and as it turns out terminally) stupid of Scott to flee and engage in a scuffle with the officer reportedly knocking his taser out from his hands. Especially knowing how trigger-happy US cops tend to be.

 

[RavenSky]

All that said, it was incredibly (and as it turns out terminally) stupid of Scott to flee and engage in a scuffle with the officer reportedly knocking his taser out from his hands. Especially knowing how trigger-happy US cops tend to be.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!! You managed to find a way to blame the victim. I knew you could do it Derec!!! Way to go!!!

The bottom line here is that the ONLY reason Slager has been arrested (not yet convicted, we will see if that happens) is because the shooting was videotaped. In the Michael Brown case, the actual shooting was not videotaped which allows "your side" to continue to maintain that Michael Brown "charged" the officer (despite a dozen witnesses saying otherwise). But good job on you bringing up other cases to deflect from the horror of this one. Don't forget to bring up the murder of Trayvon Martin and to defend the NON-cop Zimmerman, too.

 

[Nice Squirrel]

Congratulations! It looks like your side finally has what it has been desperately seeking since Michael Brown - a bad shoot of a black man by a police officer.

Me thinks you've missed some points:
1) A man is dead because of the reaction of a police officer. It doesn't matter the color.
2) A district attorney is pursuing the case.
3) Police do not have the power of summary execution.

 

[ksen]

The man could have stopped running, turned around, charged the officer, taken his gun and shot him. With that sort of risk present, I agree that shooting him the back was the only reasonable option.

Do you know how many guns can be hidden in a trick knee?

 

[ksen]

Just watched the video . . . jesus christ.

How is that guy taking the video not dead as well?

 

[Rhea]

Congratulations! It looks like your side finally has what it has been desperately seeking since Michael Brown - a bad shoot of a black man by a police officer.
Otoh, I doubt it will make much difference to the hardcore activists as they are still talking about the "murder of Michael Brown" despite the facts.

All that said, it was incredibly (and as it turns out terminally) stupid of Scott to flee and engage in a scuffle with the officer reportedly knocking his taser out from his hands. Especially knowing how trigger-happy US cops tend to be.

Interestingly, (alarmingly? Horrifyingly?) the only thing that would make running from the cops "stupid" is the near certainty that

1. they will try to shoot you dead if you disobey
2. AND not face any discipline over it.

Without that near-certain assumption it is not stupid to run from police.

Interesting that you assume those two things, no?
Interesting that you think running from police is likely to result in death because police want to and have no reason to hold back.

Dear police, DO NOT think you are "serving" me or my interests by choosing to shoot to kill on suspicions. Just get that whole mindset out of your brain. It's not honorable or glorious to "protect" me by choosing to shoot people who are fleeing from a traffic stop or even an arrest warrant. I don't need anyone caught so badly that I'm willing to sacrifice people to the death penalty without a trial. If you only did this when you knew FOR SURE that the person was wanted on a MURDER charge that was compelling, then we wouldn't be having this talk. But you think the violence is called for to keep misdemeanors, drunk people and unrelated crimes for getting "away". Don't do that in my name - you are not serving me.

 

[Jarhyn]

I wondered that, myself, how the video taker survived. Everything about this shoot was bad. And the most fucked up part is that there was already another cop, a black cop, on scene when the taser got planted who probably saw it done, didn't speak up, and will get away with it Scot free.

 

[Rhea]

I wondered that, myself. Everything about this shoot was bad. And the most fucked up part is that there was already another cop, a black cop, on scene when the taser got planted who probably saw it done, didn't speak up, and will get away with it Scot free.

Remember a Good Cop is a cop who blows the whistle on a Bad Cop. Have we ever seen a Good Cop?

I expect he made a statement of some kind before the video surfaced. It'll be interesting to see what he said.

 

[Tom Sawyer]

I wondered that, myself. Everything about this shoot was bad. And the most fucked up part is that there was already another cop, a black cop, on scene when the taser got planted who probably saw it done, didn't speak up, and will get away with it Scot free.

Remember a Good Cop is a cop who blows the whistle on a Bad Cop. Have we ever seen a Good Cop?

I expect he made a statement of some kind before the video surfaced. It'll be interesting to see what he said.

I do hope he made some kind of statement. He's involved in a conspiracy to cover up a murder and needs to go to jail as well.

 

[Rhea]

Here are the questions I still have:

Why was he outside of his car in order to run? Did he get out? Was he asked to get out?
I wonder this because I am curious whether he ran to avoid a child support warrant perhaps, or whether it was instigated by a cop making the traffic stop more than it had to be with a "i'm gonna search your suspicious car," kind of action.

Did the victim in fact have an outstanding warrant? (not that this justifies murder, it only answers my curiosity of possible causes to run)

How did that camera holder have the courage to keep filming. Wow. I kept thinking he was about to get shot when the cops turned toward him.

What did the second cop put in his incident report.
And did he see the dropping of the taser...

What kind of rules can we put on police body cameras? Such as, "if your camera is mysteriously "off" and/or if you parked so that the camera does not show the stopped car, you will face disciplinary action and fines automatically. And the jury will be instructed to suspect your honor.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Here are the questions I still have:

Why was he outside of his car in order to run? Did he get out? Was he asked to get out?
I wonder this because I am curious whether he ran to avoid a child support warrant perhaps, or whether it was instigated by a cop making the traffic stop more than it had to be with a "i'm gonna search your suspicious car," kind of action.

Yeah. Pulled over for a broken taillight? Anyone check to see if the taillight was even broken?

Did the victim in fact have an outstanding warrant? (not that this justifies murder, it only answers my curiosity of possible causes to run)

One for failure to pay child support.

The case is odd. How a man gets pulled over for a broken taillight ends up running away from an officer... and then pretty much being executed is a tale that seems absurdly unrealistic. The guy messed up running away, but why was he even out of the car to start with? How many mistakes in judgment (excluding the criminal act of killing the man... and the subsequent planting of the taser) did this officer make?

 

[ZiprHead]

Yeah. Pulled over for a broken taillight? Anyone check to see if the taillight was even broken?

Did the victim in fact have an outstanding warrant? (not that this justifies murder, it only answers my curiosity of possible causes to run)

One for failure to pay child support.

The case is odd. How a man gets pulled over for a broken taillight ends up running away from an officer... and then pretty much being executed is a tale that seems absurdly unrealistic. The guy messed up running away, but why was he even out of the car to start with? How many mistakes in judgment (excluding the criminal act of killing the man... and the subsequent planting of the taser) did this officer make?

I assumed he was outside the car to be taken into custody for the child support warrant.

 

[Rhea]

Yeah. Pulled over for a broken taillight? Anyone check to see if the taillight was even broken?

One for failure to pay child support.

The case is odd. How a man gets pulled over for a broken taillight ends up running away from an officer... and then pretty much being executed is a tale that seems absurdly unrealistic. The guy messed up running away, but why was he even out of the car to start with? How many mistakes in judgment (excluding the criminal act of killing the man... and the subsequent planting of the taser) did this officer make?

I assumed he was outside the car to be taken into custody for the child support warrant.

Boy, this'll fix that missing child support for sure, won't it. Great decision, cop!
Running wasn't so stupid after all, he is totally not responsible for child support any more!

 

[Keith&Co.]

Boy, this'll fix that missing child support for sure, won't it. Great decision, cop!
Running wasn't so stupid after all, he is totally not responsible for child support any more!

And depending on where his kid goes to school, being able to say daddy was gunned down by the cops may give the kid quite a bit of street cred.

 

[ZiprHead]

I assumed he was outside the car to be taken into custody for the child support warrant.

Boy, this'll fix that missing child support for sure, won't it. Great decision, cop!
Running wasn't so stupid after all, he is totally not responsible for child support any more!

Heh heh, I thought about saying something similar but thought it might be a little too soon. Thank you.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

So this begs the question. How many cases like this turned into acts of aggression of the guy pulled over, who grabbed at the Officer's weapon and the Officer had to shoot? You know the ones... those cases that get steadfastly defended by the likes of some here.

If it wasn't for the video, people would have said the guy had it coming.

 

[ksen]

Don't kid yourself jimmy. Even with the video people are still saying he had it coming.