SECOND VIDEO IN SHOOTING OF UNARMED BLACK MAN, OFFICER FACES MURDER CHARGES

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By Ed Barrena

April 11, 2015 (South Carolina)--“Black Lives Matter” and “All Lives Matter.” Those are the cries of chanting protestors after another officer involved shooting, in which a white police officer shot to death an unarmed black man. The incident occurred in South Carolina on Saturday April 4th,

North Charleston Police Officer Michael Slager, 33, shot 50- year-old Walter Scott, killing him. Initially, the officer claimed to have felt threatened after the suspect allegedly reached for his taser. However cell phone video emerged showing clear and graphic images of Scott fleeing from the officer, as Slager fires 8 rounds into the man’s back. Now, a second video from the officer’s dash cam has been released, confirming no evidence that the officer was in danger when he fired the deadly shots.

Unlike previous similar cases of the deaths of black men at the hands of white officers, such as in Ferguson Missouri, and New York, the reaction from the city of Charleston has been swift. Slager has been taken into custody, without bail, and charged with murder. He has been fired from the police force, however his wife who is 8 months pregnant will continue to receive health benefits.

Walter Scott had been pulled over for a broken tail light. According to the victim’s family, Scott may have tried to flee the officer for fear he would be incarcerated over his failure to pay child support.  He had served 2 years in the Coast Guard and had 4 children.

Protestors gathered in front of City Hall to make their voices heard regarding race relations with police as well as abuse of power by Law Enforcement overall.

Officer Slager claimed initially that Scott tried to take his taser,  however the cell phone video showed Slager dropping an object that appears to be a taser beside Scott’s body after the shootings.

Slager had been accused of improprer use of a taser in a prior incident, but was exonerated in that case.

View the videos here: http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/09/us/south-carolina-police-shooting/

 


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