Officer charged with murder after shooting man in back:

CNN.com ^ | 4/8 | Holly Yan and Dana Ford

[TangledUpInBlue]

The video is so damning that authorities promptly charged a South Carolina officer with murder.

In the footage, an African-American man, apparently unarmed, is seen running away from the officer. He gets several yards away before the officer aims his gun toward his back.

Eight shots later, the man falls to the ground. By that point, he appears to be at least 25 feet from the officer.

[TexasCajun]

Thanks for he update.

I should have said "shot at", not 'shot'.

Hard to convince a jury the officer was in fear of his life as the guy is running away with his back to the officer.

[dfwgator]

I don’t think this will blow up because there is no division among the people to play off.

No, but it will create more doubt in peoples' minds as to what happened in Ferguson. They'll say that the only reason that this cop will get busted is because it was caught on video.

[DoodleDawg]

Or, the out of range, soon to be hostages, toddlers playing in the park just ahead of the fleeing felon in the direct line of his flight.

So you loose off 8 rounds in the general direction of those toddlers, three of which went God knows where? Good plan. </sarcasm>

[DoodleDawg]

Post of the day.

[rednesss]

"Suspect steals a little old lady’s car, tasing her to do so. Which puts her into cardiac arrest and kills her."

Impossible, every police department in America and the manufacturer swear on a stack of bibles, that tasers can't cause cardiac arrest.

[JabaliHunter]

Thanks! :)

[zeugma]

Based on the beginning of the video, I think it's most likely that the victim did grab (or at least grab at) the taser at some point during the confrontation, but then dropped it (or it fell) and ran. So, his prints may well be on the taser. But, since "he was running away with my taser, and I shot him because he was a threat to others with my taser" is a stronger story than "he grabbed my taser, it fell, he ran and I shot the unarmed guy in the back," the officer moved the taser closer to the victim to make it look like the victim still had it when he was shot.

And it would have worked for the officer, other than that pesky video.

It would be very interesting to see his initial report, before he knew there was a vid.

[ExSoldier]

Three: Is there any credence to the possibility this may have been a good shoot?

Maybe, but look at his shooting stance and accuracy. He doesn't present a posture of someone under pressure. He looks like he's on a qualifying range. Accuracy is about par with average street cop capabilities and level of practice: 5 out of 8 struck the target. What about the three missed rounds? Where did they strike? Did they endanger any innocent bystanders?

[rednesss]

"And it would have worked for the officer, other than that pesky video."

[deport]

Hard to convince a jury the officer was in fear of his life as the guy
is running away with his back to the officer.

*************

Yep that video blows the officer’s story all to pieces. I personally think the
officer reacted without thinking about the man running away. At that point
his option was to let him go or give chase, but not shoot.

[bobby.223]

I do believe that post’s comments were 100% sarcasm.

[anton]

Well, there will be a diagram at trial that shows that the office had a limited window of time to get his shots off before the perp got in line with the toddlers (hostages).

I’m just saying, after seeing a lot of trials and a lot of surprises, don’t think there won’t be plenty here, because the cop is not going to get a sweet heart plea bargain like most of the drug combatants do.

[kiryandil]

Are you crazy? He shot the guy eight times in the back 25 feet away? You're OK with that kind of law enforcement?

It's well-known at Free Republic that I'm extremely allergic to jackboot leather, and am chastised constantly for that attitude.

[Ken H]

Don’t try to fool yourself. Officer Slager is going to spend the rest of his life in prison.

[anton]

Why would you think I am trying to fool myself? I don’t care if he is imprisoned or he isn’t. I just know how the system works. Don’t be surprised by a verdict of negligent homicide. You amateur prosecutors are always cock sure who is going to found guilty and who isn’t. Until the trial starts that is. There are a lot of other factors here. There will probably be a special prosecutor and who knows what he will do. First degree murder without a motive is always a bit of trouble even for a prosecutor who is committed to the task. You see, South Carolina like most every other state requires malice before the crime. So, if he is a hate filled racist with nooses hanging in his garage, maybe it will be easy. But, if he a boy scout which most cops look like on paper, then good luck.

[Ken H]

18 U.S. Code § 242 - Deprivation of rights under color of law

Whoever, under color of any law, statute, ordinance, regulation, or custom, willfully subjects any person in any State, Territory, Commonwealth, Possession, or District to the deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured or protected by the Constitution or laws of the United States, or to different punishments, pains, or penalties, on account of such person being an alien, or by reason of his color, or race, than are prescribed for the punishment of citizens, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both;

and if bodily injury results from the acts committed in violation of this section or if such acts include the use, attempted use, or threatened use of a dangerous weapon, explosives, or fire, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both;

and if death results from the acts committed in violation of this section or if such acts include kidnapping or an attempt to kidnap, aggravated sexual abuse, or an attempt to commit aggravated sexual abuse, or an attempt to kill, shall be fined under this title, or imprisoned for any term of years or for life, or both, or may be sentenced to death.

[don-o]

You are not welcome, since I see you, on another thread, bragging about doing criminal acts.

[anton]

Nonsense. He won’t be charged with the federal offense you cited. Never in a million years.

That is the statute that would apply if the KKK strung a couple of them up from a tree.

This defendant may not be convicted of any murder much less civil rights murder. The first fact supporting that statute has not surfaced.

Manslaughter and probably negligent homicide will be choices to the jury. Everyone learned the lesson with Zimmerman. And, at the end of the trail don’t be surprised if one of those is the verdict. I place it as even odds right now. And, a manslaughter conviction in SC is not a very long sentence in actual practice. Years, not decades.

[Does so]

Don’t try to fool yourself. Officer Slager is going to spend the rest of his life in prison.

I wonder.

The officer (Corporal?) doesn't look very concerned. Juries are easy to trick. Any good lawyer will get him off. Roy Black, Esq., comes to mind.

Are we sure the taser is the officer's? The tasers I've seen are gray in color—but that was 15 years ago. What exculpatory evidence could the dispatcher have reported to the officer just before the shooting?

I think he'll walk.

[Ken H]

Guys, this is nothing like George Zimmerman or Officer Wilson. There is video and it speaks for itself. He is toast.