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Goodman Law Group Seeks Costco Video of West Point Grad Allegedly Slain by Vegas Police
businesswire.com ^ | 3 August, 2010 | NA

Posted on 08/04/2010 6:03:32 AM PDT by marktwain

LAS VEGAS--(EON: Enhanced Online News)--Goodman Law Group reports that Erik Scott was shot by police outside a busy Summerlin, Nevada Costco store July 10. Many questions surround the shooting of Scott, who was carrying a licensed concealed weapon in a holster when he was surprised by officers as he exited the building with his girlfriend and other customers. Five of the seven shots that felled him were fired into his back.

“We know there were four cameras outside of Costco that would've captured the shooting. We know that there was a camera within Costco, on the aisle, which would've covered allegations that Mr. Scott was acting erratically” Ross Goodman, attorney for the family of Erik Scott is questioning the official sequence of events. Erik was a graduate of the US Military Academy at West Point and had an MBA from Duke University. The case claims that if an educated, responsible, militarily-trained individual with a concealed weapons permit did not understand the instructions of the police, then any average citizen is at great risk of getting killed by police in a similar situation.

Much information regarding the incident has been withheld pending a coroner's inquest that was originally scheduled for September 3. The Clark County Coroner said the inquest was indefinitely postponed at the request of the District Attorney's office, which said additional witness statements are being gathered and surveillance videos are being reviewed by an out-of-state forensic laboratory. Testimony to be presented is expected to last two days, then a jury will determine whether the officers' actions were excusable, justifiable or criminal.

The district attorney won't release the recordings of 911 calls or surveillance videos until the inquest, and has not set a new date for the hearing. Until then, the family must rely on the statements of eyewitnesses, while continuing to request the release of the video data. Dozens of citizens have inundated the Costco Facebook page, and billboards in Las Vegas demand the video be released. An unauthorized transcript raises questions about what police were told by 911 callers.

Police claim Erik Scott pointed his gun at them outside the store's entrance after 911 callers reported him acting erratically and damaging merchandise. There are reports from witnesses that dispute each of those statements. Several witnesses said Scott appeared to be surprised and possibly confused by conflicting instructions from officers.

"We know there were four cameras outside of Costco that would've captured the shooting. We know that there was a camera within Costco, on the aisle, which would've covered allegations that Mr. Scott was acting erratically," said Goodman. "All they have to do is provide video and the tapes."

Erik Scott’s father, Bill Scott, 63, of Colorado Springs, is a journalist, author and former Air Force captain. He is calling for greater police accountability and for reform of Clark County's coroner inquest process. He said officer-involved shootings should be reviewed by third parties. “It’s been three weeks. They should release the video and 911 calls.”

There are several news reports regarding the incident available online by searching “Erik Scott Costco Shooting.”


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Extended News; News/Current Events; US: Nevada
KEYWORDS: banglist; costco; donutwatch; erikscott; nv; scott
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To: Paisan

You know the guy is likely innocent by the fact that Journo 101 excuses “getting his life back together,” “had recently returned to school” and “new father” haven’t been mentioned in the news articles.


21 posted on 08/04/2010 7:27:48 AM PDT by sbMKE
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To: marktwain

“allegedly” slain by police?

What is that? The police shot and killed that man, there is no “allegedly” to be found anywhere in that set of facts.


22 posted on 08/04/2010 7:28:43 AM PDT by padre35 (You shall not ignore the laws of God, the Market, the Jungle, and Reciprocity Rm10.10)
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To: B-Chan

FreeRepublic is HQ for the War on Drugs. The only objection to Bill Clintons 100k cops on the street was that he would never really put 100k new cops on the street.

This is the place where when the cops beat down some young girl in a prison cell for flicking her sandal in the general direction of a cop, and the cop responds by tackling her on a concrete floor and banging her head against a stainless steel sink, the cop is defended.

FreeRepublic members argue for seat belt laws. Cell phone laws. A cop in every bush.

So now law and order Republicans have built the Police State to beat down the hippies and “Ferrel Humans” they are gonna be disappointed to find:

1. The Statist left runs the cities and will use the Police State against enemies.
2. The Police exist to defend the State.
3. Socially Conservative limited government enumerated power supporting types are the enemy of the State.

So, a shout out to all you Law and Order types. You know who you are. You love aggressive, well funded Police, and you love lots and lots of laws. Don’t cry to me when the State shoots down a CCW, West Point grad, MBA type at COSTCO. Law and Order Republicans built the Police State. Don’t be mad. We warned you.


23 posted on 08/04/2010 7:43:47 AM PDT by DariusBane (People are like sheep and have two speeds: grazing and stampede)
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To: DariusBane
fortunately, in most of the erik scott threads, the 'blue blood liners' have been quiet...mostly just 'wait and see' responses...

ifn this were an o dark thirty raid gone bad, these same guys wouldve already tried, convicted, and re-executed the 'perp' on much less circumstantial evidence...IE they shouldnt have been there to get dead...

24 posted on 08/04/2010 8:07:55 AM PDT by Gilbo_3 (Gov is not reason; not eloquent; its force.Like fire,a dangerous servant & master. George Washington)
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To: DariusBane

Haven’t read all the Costco/Scott threads, have you. That’s ok. You can keep stereotyping just like the left does.


25 posted on 08/04/2010 8:20:13 AM PDT by DJ MacWoW (If Bam is the answer, the question was stupid.)
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To: DJ MacWoW
I have read at least most of them. The Statist have been sort of shocked into silence.

What I have done is spent YEARS arguing with freedom loving freepers about the need for more liberty less laws. I have spent YEARS arguing that a well funded and aggressive police are a mistake. I have been called ted kazinsky for arguing against property seizures in the war on drugs. So I don't even get your response. This issue. This debate. This definition of what liberty is, what “good government” means is far larger than one issue and one thread. The issue is self reliance versus building a government big enough and power full enough to solve all the ills of society. Versus taking on some personal risk and living with a weak and underfunded government.

26 posted on 08/04/2010 8:35:39 AM PDT by DariusBane (People are like sheep and have two speeds: grazing and stampede)
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To: marktwain

After the shooting the cops took Scott’s girlfriend into the Costco security office. You can hear an officer state that on the recordings of the broadcast police chatter. When he is saying he has the female in the security office, you can hear someone yelling in the background.

I’m GUESSING here:

I hypothesize that they hustled her into the security office and started grilling her: was she involved, was he on drugs. Meanwhile she is screaming at them: he didn’t do anything, he didn’t pull a gun... they ask: “Why was he throwing merchandise around?” she says he WASN’T throwing merchandise around.

A COSTCO employee is there and hears this and figures out what happened. He thinks “Oh, s#!+”

The cops asks to see the tapes, and the guys stalls, then erases them at the first opportunity. When the cops finally get their hands on them they’re blank.

The cops suspect what happened, and send the drives to a computer lab to try to pull the images off the erased drives.

That’s just my guess.


27 posted on 08/04/2010 8:43:47 AM PDT by Fido969 ("The hardest thing in the world to understand is income tax." - Albert Einstein)
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To: DariusBane
The issue is that we have lost sight of what this country was meant to be. But that's a conversation for another thread.

My point was that you are stereotyping Freepers. I take each article as it comes, judging by the facts that are given. Sometimes I'm on the side of Leo's and sometimes not. You painted Freepers with a pretty broad brush simply because they don't always agree with you.

28 posted on 08/04/2010 8:58:00 AM PDT by DJ MacWoW (If Bam is the answer, the question was stupid.)
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To: Fido969

I would believe that would be likely with a police force that was honest but the LV cops are notoriously corrupt. No cop has been found at fault since 1976. And they kill a LOT of unarmed citizens.


29 posted on 08/04/2010 9:00:24 AM PDT by DJ MacWoW (If Bam is the answer, the question was stupid.)
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To: pabianice

If so, someone is getting hit with obstruction of justice and destroying evidence. Ma and Pop’s gas station I would believe, but not a major operation like Costco. Most of the newer system use hard drives now and data can be recovered even if deleted.


30 posted on 08/04/2010 9:07:01 AM PDT by ClayinVA ("Those who don't remember history are doomed to repeat it")
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To: DJ MacWoW
The bigger issue is not the actions of individual cops. Cops are human. A 10 year police veteran has most likely in the course of his career been a good cop. A hero. A coward. Stupid. Brilliant. Mean. Compassionate. You get the picture. Human. So my question has always been, why in the name of all that is holy would you empower humans to be your overlord? We need order, need life and property protected and contracts enforced. But it turns into all powerful and untouchable institutions so the best strategy is to emasculate and underfund government to a barely functioning level. I am not “stereotyping” freepers when I have had this debate with hundreds of individual freepers over the years. Most freepers on either side of a typical law enforcement debate will argue the individual actions of the officer. I believe the institutions that create the police officer are at fault. Many freepers have argued that the institutions are fine but the cop is just “one bad apple”. I say strip the municipalities of money and authority and the “bad cop” thing is history. Many freepers will argue that this will lead to chaos. But a balance is needed. Right now the cities, the Counties, the States, the Feds are far to powerful. Defund, dis-empower. If you argue for more money and more power don't be mad when they shoot you down like a dog.
31 posted on 08/04/2010 9:15:11 AM PDT by DariusBane (People are like sheep and have two speeds: grazing and stampede)
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To: DJ MacWoW
Since we cannot guarantee to each other honesty in any institution over the passing of decades why empower cities counties and states with such lethal means and laws? Because fallible men run institutions you want them moribund, ineffectual and underfunded. That will frustrate the good guys as they pass through the institution but it will. Ind the hands of the evil.
32 posted on 08/04/2010 9:24:44 AM PDT by DariusBane (People are like sheep and have two speeds: grazing and stampede)
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To: B-Chan; DariusBane
At least two shots were after he was down on the ground.
33 posted on 08/04/2010 9:31:32 AM PDT by mad_as_he$$ (Playing by the rules only works if both sides do it!)
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To: DariusBane
You get the picture. Human.

All of society is. What do you think the Founders would say of today's society? Too permissive? Too immoral? I absolutely believe that they would. John Adams said: "Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."

A small corrupt PD was closed down 30 miles from me. The Guardian Angels had to come in because things got so bad without a police presence.

When people cannot and will not control themselves, someone or something has to. Society is devolving not evolving. Human nature is such that we are on a downward slide. And it isn't going to get better. I don't know what your perspective is but I believe we are in the end times. And all of us are human and all of us are affected.

34 posted on 08/04/2010 9:36:13 AM PDT by DJ MacWoW (If Bam is the answer, the question was stupid.)
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To: DJ MacWoW
These ebbs and flows are cyclical. Ask the residents of Constantinople in 1450 and they would tell you they were in the end times. They experienced a 200 year decline culminating in 1453 when the masses were butchered by the Muslim on the alter of the Hagia Sophia. We are witnessing the decline of this era. Whether this is the “end times”? Donut know and my opinion is worthless it is what it is.
35 posted on 08/04/2010 9:50:06 AM PDT by DariusBane (People are like sheep and have two speeds: grazing and stampede)
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To: DariusBane

“Donut know “

Now that’s funny... Dam Blackberry’s fault.


36 posted on 08/04/2010 9:54:40 AM PDT by DariusBane (People are like sheep and have two speeds: grazing and stampede)
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To: DariusBane
These ebbs and flows are cyclical.

Yup. Right up until the time that everything that was foretold is in place.

37 posted on 08/04/2010 9:57:34 AM PDT by DJ MacWoW (If Bam is the answer, the question was stupid.)
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To: DariusBane

I thought it was a cop joke. ;-)


38 posted on 08/04/2010 9:58:22 AM PDT by DJ MacWoW (If Bam is the answer, the question was stupid.)
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To: Fido969
“A COSTCO employee is there and hears this and figures out what happened. He thinks “Oh, s#!+”

The cops asks to see the tapes, and the guys stalls, then erases them at the first opportunity. When the cops finally get their hands on them they’re blank.”

I do not think that is likely. From earlier threads, I understood that the cameras were recorded off-site, so I do not think an employee at the store would be able to erase the tapes. Still, the same motive applies to upper store management, because the store (as the one with deep pockets) would likely be held just as responsible. That does not make sense, but in the topsy turvy world of total liability for all even minimally involved, the theory made law in the last 50 years, it is what we suffer under.

39 posted on 08/04/2010 10:43:05 AM PDT by marktwain
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To: DariusBane

“This is the place where when the cops beat down some young girl in a prison cell for flicking her sandal in the general direction of a cop, and the cop responds by tackling her on a concrete floor and banging her head against a stainless steel sink, the cop is defended.”

...and the perp is restrained.


40 posted on 08/04/2010 11:29:22 AM PDT by Mashood
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