Look, I think the cops guilty. But I don’t think he was changing the crime scene. He’s gotta be dazed and confused and a little in shock himself.
But you can assert he quickly dropped it when the other officer was arriving.
Anyway, no way will the cop be convicted of Murder one. Nor should he be. There’s just no malevolent aforethought — Unless they Feds try and make it a hate crime.
2nd Degree murder is a possibility, as evidenced by the shooting in the back and final deliberate kill shot.
But it will probably end up as manslaughter or negligent homicide.
It would be a shame if he was found not guilty.
It was reckless and poor judgement and probably linked to official training procedures that in themselves are improper.
I do not know much about South Carolina law, but have read others who say that there is no second degree murder charge in S.C.
Are there any lawyers here who could help us understand how the laws work there?
If it was the taser that the cop ran back to get, and then dropped it by the body to plant evidence - why didn’t he leave it there for the forensic guys? “See guys- there’s the taser, right by his body.”
Instead, he drops it with the other cop standing right there, and then a little bit later picks it up and puts it on his belt, in his pocket or wherever. And to me, what ever he dropped looks to small to be a taser.