Does it ever occur to this community that you should actually cooperate with Police, instead of always fighting them? Police Officers are human beings, too, and surely would appreciate civil treatment.
I guess he thought so even though the wires and taser head were dragging behind the victim as he ran away (which can be seen in that 'suspect' bystander video), nothing in his hands while Scott drew aim.
A sober reflection of what was happening would have led to the conclusion that that was not the case -- however you don't have the luxury of Monday morning quarterbacking in the heat of the moment. Surely a monumental mistake, but not the execution that was first proclaimed (and which I bought into when I saw the first photos which did not show the taser wire sticking out of Slager's leg).
“And this is where Scott all but shredded his only potential defense”.... I think he means Slager’s only potential defense”
Sorry, not buying the premise of this article; if you kill someone in anything other than verifiable self defense (or defense of your domicile) you should be put away for ever, or get Mr. happy needle. Period.
Did Slager set out to kill Scott? No. Did he, through is own actions and for whatever reason, gun down an unarmed man who posed no threat to his own life and safety, or the safety of any bystanders? Yes. Should he face murder charges because of it? Yes.
What are the guidelines for dealing with someone resisting arrest? Are police officers supposed to use all means necessary to stop someone who is running away? What are the police told to do in these cases?
The manner in which Slager calmly shot the unarmed man makes me wonder how many times in his career he has gotten away with this same thing.
In a previous thread someone claimed that the officer was justified in shooting him because Scott reached for the officer’s gun. I wonder if Slager thinks that action is all it takes to warrant a death sentence, even though he guy ran away.
I recall tuning into the trial once on live television and the defense was showing the video footage of the beating in ultra-slow motion and were explaining to the jury that they were NOT BEATING Rodney King, but simply using force to RESTRAIN King.
They could've fooled me.. because that's NOT what I SAW.
My point: we ALL saw the candid video of a man SHOT in the BACK FIVE times while running away.
Officer Slager had already commandeered Walter Scott's car, had his drivers license. and knew who he was. Just pick him up later and add another charge for his running off.
There was NO NEED whatsoever to SHOOT another human being in the back who was NOT a THREAT to the officer.
Officer Slager's own decision to BOTH SHOOT and to TAMPER with the EVIDENCE have sealed his own fate.
It wasn’t muder.
But it wasn’t a good shoot.
The courts will decide.
No.
Killer?
Yes.
If I am going to shoot someone I have to show that the person was an immediate threat to myself or others.
Twenty feet away and running from me does not cut it unless they were armed and with something a little more lethal then a tazer.
Blood is thicker than water...and blue is thicker than blood.
New zoom video of taser struggle:
Also, the post rebuts the b.s. pushed by Slager’s own dept., SLED, the media, and even many Freepers regarding the outset of this case.