Posted on 04/08/2015 6:11:22 AM PDT by 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.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
No. But it does mean that the so-called “murder” isn’t terribly important.
I respectfully, but wholeheartedly, disagree. What makes this murder terribly important is not the identity of the victim, but rather the identity of the perp.
Then the case of overkill. Shooting AT someone 8 times as they are running from you even if you only hit them once would be considered over and above the force necessary. One caveat may save your fannie would be if that person is a FELON fleeing from the scene of the crime just committed. Example: The thug just murdered someone, perhaps a family member.
Then there will be the perceived attempt to reposition the taser in an effort to give the impression the person was in possession of the officers non-lethal weapon. That could go either way due the nature of the shaky video.
One thing is for damn certain...this “former” cop is in a whole heap of trouble.
>>Where I am, it is legal for police to shoot a fleeing suspect or prisoner *if* they have reasonable or probable grounds to believe that person is a threat to others<<
Most states allow the officer to fire his weapon at a suspect running away from the scene of a violent felonious crime. This does not appear to meet that criteria.
“no guarantee” isn’t the standard cops act by. Fighting with a cop, then taking his service weapon (and a taser is a service weapon) and running away with it means the guy is an immediate clear and present danger to the public, and justifies use of lethal force. Even if it means shooting the guy in the back.
Now imagine a scenario where the motorist takes the taser and runs away with it where the cop doesn’t shoot. Suspect steals a little old lady’s car, tasing her to do so. Which puts her into cardiac arrest and kills her.
Since the guy had already engaged in a violent physical confrontation with the cop, and was fleeing the scene, THAT’S the assumed scenario. IF the motorist still had the taser.
Which the video clearly shows he didn’t. And which the video shows the cop move to close proximity to the prone motorist.
I agree, it looks like the cop had no excuse. That being said, I’m sure there’s more to the story (there always is) but I’m inclined to believe that the cop is guilty of murder.
“... this guy could have paid his child support. Or maintained his car....”
I was reading a statement from Freeper Mr. Jeeves from another thread dealing with this subject. It is poetic and wraps up how I feel...
“When we can’t even call a clear excess of state power what it is for fear that some sleazy character might use the example to get off, we have failed. The Left never loses sight of their organizing principle-Expand the State. Conservatism should be about conserving the radical spirit of Liberty laid down by the Founding Fathers.”
In short, go ahead and make lame excuses like “should have kept his car well maintained” or “shouldn’t have run”.. as a legal excuse to shoot someone in the back and kill them. Defend law enforcement no matter what the situation because they are supposed to be the “good” guys. The time may come when you, your kid, your parent... has a broken tail light. Or an unpaid ticket. Or driving when not wearing glasses or whatever else you find fault in. When I see injustice.. no matter the skin color/previous history/religion/etc... I see that I may be next or my kid or my loved one. NOTHING and I mean NOTHING can guarantee that I’m not the one pulled over.
Many jurisdictions permit the shooting of fleeing felons under certain circumstances. Given this, it’s hard for the shot not to be in the back.
My daughter, who lives there, told me that the victim’s family doesn’t want this to turn into a circus and they are confident justice will be done. But of course, NAN (National Action Network) is already on the scene, and Al Sharpton is probably catching a flight even now to get there and cause trouble.
I don’t know...they haven’t done much analysis yet, so far as I know, but I doubt that the cop was thinking it through in any case.
He couldn’t possibly have believed that he’d get away with a shooting like that, but even so he seems to have taken his time and aimed. Very strange.
Well, facts are a pesky thing at trial. The prosecution will get all of about 15 seconds to show the video. It will not be sufficiently clear to have picked up the suspect yelling, “Yo, MF’er I got a gun and I’m gonna turn around and shoot yo in the head.” 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, let’s not get our bets down too early in this race.
My issue is the sensationalism. Indict in public by making it as bad as possible - 8 shots implying he was actually hit 8 times. That is the media. It could just be he knew he wasn’t connecting, so kept shooting until he hit finally.
The matter of shooting a man apparently (again, be careful here not truly knowing full context) not doing anything but escaping is another question.
I just like to get all the facts straight rather than sensationalizing for maximum effect and outrage.
Just my opinion, but I think you are confusing liberty with anarchy. If we can´t enforce the laws made by the people, then we have anarchy. That is, people do whatever they want, and the police, the servants of the LAW ABIDING people, have to stand by and watch for fear of being branded something or other by the MSM and their cheerleaders. I am not worried about the cops, have never felt the need to flee. That doesn´t make me a boot licker, it makes me a decent law abiding citizen. But hey, let the thugs run wild, just as long as it isn´t in my neighborhood, frankly I could care less anymore.
Cheers
@Breaking911 #BREAKING: Family Of #WalterScott Says They Have Been In Contact With Al Sharpton LIVESTREAM- bit.ly/1DhGl3a pic.twitter.com/oRYgVwbokL
And here we go
The other cop was there BEFORE the white cop returned. The white cop took a long time before dropping the item while the black cop was checking out the victim, then very quickly picks it up. I’d say FAIL at trying to make black cop testify the item was next to the victim. And ipso facto must’ve stolen a taser.
There is no reason white cop did not simply drop something by the body and then pick it up as a matter of course. As if that kind of thing never happens to anyone.
CNN is ginning it up to the max. Going through the video frame by frame.
For Pete’s sake. The cop is charged with Murder 1 - in jail w/o bond.
Are they trying to get a lynch mob organized?
CNN is just as bad as Sharpton, Jackson, Holder, Obama and the Ferguson rioters. So yes, they are fueling the fire.
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