Here we go again: Video shows man gunned down by SC cop

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Summary via TheAtlantic.com / South Carolina prosecutors charged a police officer with murder on Tuesday, after video surfaced showing him shooting a fleeing, apparently unarmed man in the back multiple times, after a traffic stop.
The arrest of the North Charleston officer, Michael Slager, comes after a series of high-profile deaths of black Americans at the hands of police officers last year prompted a national debate over policing, racism, and the use of deadly force.
Last month, President Obama outlined proposals for police reform based on a task force report commissioned after incidents in Ferguson, Missouri and New York. Slager, the 33-year-old police officer, is white; Walter Scott, the 50-year-old victim, was black. According to local reports, Slager pulled over Scott for a broken tail light on his vehicle on Saturday afternoon. A police spokesman originally told media that Scott had taken the Taser from Slager and attempted to wield it against the officer, at which point Slager drew his weapon and shot Scott.
A video posted online by The New York Times, taken by a bystander on a cell phone, depicts a different scene. It shows Scott and Slager interacting in close proximity to one another in an open, grassy area. Scott then turns and begins to run away from the officer. As Scott flees, Slager pulls his gun from its holster and fires eight shots at Scott, who crumples to the ground near a tree. Slager walks toward him, speaking into his radio, tells an unresponsive Scott to put his hands behind his back, and then places him in handcuffs.
No attempt to render first aid is depicted in the Times video until other officers arrive on the scene. Scott subsequently died of his injuries.
 

EDGEWATER, Fla. -- Finally, in South Carolina a police officer is being charged for an obvious error on his part that caused a death. He pulled this man over for a broken tail light. Granted the man should not have run from him, but was chasing him down worth all that happened?

If not for a video that popped up and showed what actually went down this police officer would have gotten away with the usual “I was in fear for my life” excuse.

This man looks to me on the video as if he was tasered by the officer, but kept running. The Officer radios that the man grabbed his taser. I doubt that. Then as the man has his back to this officer and is running away from him causing no fear for his anyone’s life the officer repeatetedly fired his gun until the man was dead on the ground.

There is too much of this happening lately. Since usually there are no cameras to prove differently the police get away with the fear for their life story. I am not saying this man was innocent, but when we discovered the reason for him running (he had a bunch of parking tickets) none of this was necessary.

99% of the police in this country are good people doing their jobs properly and these bad apples shed shame on the whole force. Again it was a black man and a white police officer. That almost always means protests and riots. Since this time the police officer will be tried for his crime or more likely take a plea deal this family will have their say and get some kind of justice for the death of their loved one. The officer will be off our streets and unable to hurt anyone else.

99% of the police in this country are good people doing their jobs properly and these bad apples shed shame on the whole force. Again it was a black man and a white police officer. That almost always means protests and riots. Since this time the police officer will be tried for his crime or more likely take a plea deal this family will have their say and get some kind of justice for the death of their loved one. The officer will be off our streets and unable to hurt anyone else.

When is this going to stop? The time of any person in power getting away with blatant prejudice must end. We as a people must all rise up and stand for our rights.

I notice recently that there are many whites in the streets shoulder to shoulder with the black protesters due to such injustice. That is as it should be. We are all one people in this nation, but we have let that be splintered into each nationality banging its own drum.

When my great-grandfather came to this country from Italy he was expected to assimilate into this country, live by its tenants and learn the language. He was happy to do so and felt privileged to have been allowed to be here.

Nowadays, we have African-Americans, Chinese-Americans, Hispanic-Americans and more each day separating themselves and demanding the rest of the country change to suit them.

Why are we letting this happen? Why aren’t they happy to be in this new free country? Why do they want to change it? I just don’t understand their reasoning. Why did they want to come here if they didn’t like the way the country is run?

Makes no sense, does it?

I know I have more than one topic in this writing but in my mind they go together. In any case I am heartened that at least this time justice will see the light of day.