DATELINE/ SOUTH CAROLINA:
There were many lies, fabrications and false narratives of “Hands Up” during the Michael Brown story … but this story is one where initial facts suggest a white police officer was wrong to use deadly force against a black suspect.
The picture is damning evidence refuting the police officer’s story. Based on this image, there is NO justification for what the officer did.
Last Saturday, North Charleston Officer Michael Slager stopped 50 year old Walter Scott; the officer says he noticed that Scott’s Mercedes-Benz had a broken brake light. In the process, Officer Slager found that Family Court had issued an arrest warrant for Scott for contempt of charges in failing to pay child support.
The 33 year old officer claims that the two men started scuffling; Officer Slager says he pulled out his Taser, but Scott took it away from him.
Initially, an attorney representing Officer Slager said that the patrolman felt threatened and feared for his life … at the time he opened fire on Scott. Officer Salger fired 8 times, but at this point, the medical examiner has not said how many times Scott was hit or where. (That attorney is no longer representing Slager.)
This freeze frame from a video shot by a by-stander raises serious questions about the need to fire on Scott as he is unarmed and running away from Officer Slager. (Make sure you slide the picture to show both Scott running and Officer Slager in a firing position.)
The officer has been arrested and is now charged with murder.
The president of the North Charleston chapter of the NAACP asks the question which demands an answer: If he was running away, how does that pose the need for deadly force?
The South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division is investigating, and North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey says: that Officer Slager made a bad decision.
This will be one of my subjects tonight on LARRY CONNERS USA; the program starts at 9PM Central.
It is heard on KTRS (550) St. Louis or from anywhere on-line at KTRS.com or by using the free KTRS phone app.
You can go to the following link and see the video as captured by a witness. It also appears that after Scott was shot, Officer Slager picked up his Taser from the initial site and dropped it near Scott’s body.