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South Carolina ex-police officer indicted in Walter Scott killing

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http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/08/us/south-carolina-slager-indictment-walter-scott/

South Carolina prosecutor Scarlett Wilson said Monday that a grand jury has indicted former North Charleston police officer Michael Slager on a murder charge.

Slager is accused of shooting and killing motorist Walter Scott. In April, Slager pulled Scott over, reportedly for a faulty brake light. Video released showed the men talking then Scott getting out of his vehicle and running away.

A widely circulated video taken by a bystander with a phone shows Scott attempting to run. His back is to Slager, who, from a few yards away, raises his gun and fires.

Slager shot eight times, and Scott was hit five times. Scott died at the scene.

Slager was fired from the department, arrested and charged with murder.

Looks like justice might finally be reachable this time? He's been fired from the force so I'm assuming he won't have the Blue Wall behind him.
 

Barzul

Member
Justice might be served. If it makes another officer hesitate just a little bit longer before resulting to lethal force when the situation does not demand it, it'll have at least brought some light to a very dark death.
 

J10

Banned
Searched, didn't see anything about this.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/08/us/south-carolina-slager-indictment-walter-scott/



Looks like justice might finally be reachable this time? He's been fired from the force so I'm assuming he won't have the Blue Wall behind him.

Yes he will have it behind him. The way this works is: he claims he was scared for his life while the rest of the police force silently threatens to not do their jobs and be uncooperative with the DA's office in future court cases if they don't let him walk.
 
A video of you murdering someone gets you indicted for murder, even if you're a cop who kills a black person.

The system totally works, guys!
 

commedieu

Banned
He is not walking from this one.

yeah but everyone else will continue to, that uses the party line;

According to a police report, Scott, a 50-year-old African-American man, did not comply with an officer's demands and tried to grab Slager's stun gun.

If there was no video, it would be business as usual. Which is just flat out terrifying.

I'll hold the celebration until he is actually convicted and is given a sentence longer than 2 years.

exactly. Its like am I supposed to be happy that the bare minimum step 1 of holding humans responsible for other humans is being done. 2 years, only serving 1 right? Like the Bart guy. Yep, still a while to go.
 
Yeah, if this one at the very least didn't lead to the proper convictions, then I wouldn't know what to say. Out of all of the incidents that have gotten media spotlight recently, this is the one I'm least worried about, thanks to the video. (If there was no video, it'd be another story).
 
I wonder why South Carolina seems to be about the only state [seemingly] consistently prosecuting cops while places like NYC don't seem to give a fuck.

I remember there being other stories in SC where cops got charged with crimes.
 
I wonder why South Carolina seems to be about the only state [seemingly] consistnlently prosecuting cops while places like NYC don't seem to give a fuck.

I remember there being other stories in SC where cops got charged with crimes.

This is the part that fucking makes me feel like I live in the twilight zone.

You mean to tell me that the the first State to secede over slavery is now the only state with the balls to prosecute police officers for wrong doing against minorities?

What?!

@_@
 

JDSN

Banned
Even this shit troubles me, the conditions for justice to happen require:
1. Killing a man.
2. Plant a weapon on him
3. Lie about it.
4. High quality, competently shot video released after the lie was told.
5. Past crimes of the victim are not bad enough to justify his death (some people here did push that neglectful parent narrative)

It so arbitrary how cut and clear things have to be to the eyes of society.
 

Mudcrab

Member
This is the part that fucking makes me feel like I live in the twilight zone.

You mean to tell me that the the first State to secede over slavery is now the only state with the balls to prosecute police officers for wrong doing against minorities?

What?!

@_@

Time is weird.
 

DarthWoo

I'm glad Grandpa porked a Chinese Muslim
Yes he will have it behind him. The way this works is: he claims he was scared for his life while the rest of the police force silently threatens to not do their jobs and be uncooperative with the DA's office in future court cases if they don't let him walk.

And then he'll sue to get his job back and all his back pay. I swear I've seen just such a thing happen before.
 
Even this shit troubles me, the conditions for justice to happen require:
1. Killing a man.
2. Plant a weapon on him
3. Lie about it.
4. High quality, competently shot video released after the lie was told.
5. Past crimes of the victim are not bad enough to justify his death (some people here did push that neglectful parent narrative)

It so arbitrary how cut and clear things have to be to the eyes of society.

The fucked up part is knowing that he still will officers and citizens in his corner simply because he's "part of the force" and he put down a "thug". All of that can't even make him look bad to some people.
 

kirblar

Member
I wonder why South Carolina seems to be about the only state [seemingly] consistently prosecuting cops while places like NYC don't seem to give a fuck.

I remember there being other stories in SC where cops got charged with crimes.
SLED. All investigations are outsourced to a a state dept.
 

akira28

Member
Sounds like something all states should be looking at.

on one hand, you can kind of understand that kind of outside oversight to combat the good ole boy networks that grow in local town municipalities. But these overarching orgs aren't immune either.

A video of you murdering someone gets you indicted for murder, even if you're a cop who kills a black person.

The system totally works, guys!

woah slow down, youngster. lets not get too hasty!
 
on one hand, you can kind of understand that kind of outside oversight to combat the good ole boy networks that grow in local town municipalities. But these overarching orgs aren't immune either.
I'm sure they aren't. But anything to make local jurisdictions more accountable than the present.
 
This is the part that fucking makes me feel like I live in the twilight zone.

You mean to tell me that the the first State to secede over slavery is now the only state with the balls to prosecute police officers for wrong doing against minorities?

What?!

@_@
Stereotypes are unreliable? Who would have guessed.
 

DonasaurusRex

Online Ho Champ
well we have direct evidence..if he doesn't go to jail...I don't know what else to think except what has always been true in this country, arm yourselves know the law and live by it, vote for your state rep and assembly and make your voice heard...
 

TarNaru33

Banned
Should crimes be harsher if they are committed by a police officer on duty?

Real question.


While morally, I would say no, because a police officer is still just a human. Realistically police and soldiers are held at a higher standard, as they are suppose to protect the ones they serve, not do the opposite. Therefore, I would say yes, they should get harsher punishments due to that standard.

Law enforcement needs more liability, especially when it comes to use of force. NEVER should a cop even take his weapon out unless there is certainty of the suspect being armed in my opinion. Yes it is risk, but it seems more innocent people than actual armed suspects are dying at the hands of law enforcement.

The whole "I feared for my life" excuse needs to be dropped.
 
I'm at the point where I have little faith there will be a conviction.

Should crimes be harsher if they are committed by a police officer on duty?

Real question.

Yes. Because the police are given broad and extremely powerful authority over the average citizen. There needs to be a "check" in place not only to deal with officers that blatantly violate their sworn oaths but to also send a message to other police officers that such actions will not be accepted by the people they are supposed to be protecting.

With that said I believe police officers are woefully underfunded. I'd like to see their pay increased a great amount but then again I'd like the effort and requirements to become a police officer be raised greatly as well.
 
well we have direct evidence..if he doesn't go to jail...I don't know what else to think except what has always been true in this country, arm yourselves know the law and live by it, vote for your state rep and assembly and make your voice heard...

pretty much my thoughts
 

demon

I don't mean to alarm you but you have dogs on your face
I had to read the title three times before I realized this wasn't about Scott Walker
 
Update on the trial:

Lone Juror Says He Can't Convict Ex-Cop in Walter Scott Killing

A lone juror said Friday he can't convict a white former police officer who fatally shot a black man in South Carolina, and the jury said they want to continue deliberating.

The juror in a letter to the court said "I cannot in good conscience consider a guilty verdict" against Michael Slager, a former patrolman who pulled over Walter Scott in North Charleston, and ended up shooting him as a bystander recorded the incident on video.

---

It is likely going to a mistrial because of one juror. In my opinion this incident was the most open and shut case, based on the video, based on how the officer planted evidence. This juror, I can only assume, is probably working off of political and stubborn beliefs.

Slager testified for the first time in the trial on Tuesday and told the court that life has been a "nightmare" since the fatal shooting. He is free on bond.

"My family's been destroyed by this. Scott's family has been destroyed by this," he told the defense, holding back emotion.

Yeah well when you make mistakes in a public job or dealing with the life of someone, there are consequences beyond public scorn.
 
This juror refuses to break code. Good for him or her. Whenever a chance for White Supremamcy to reign supreme it must at all cost.
 
Can't even expand on why he has a moral quandary about this, huh. If a mistrial is declared because of this, I hope that juror goes on to experience injustice.
 

Blader

Member
Wait, is this the same case that has 1 black and 11 white jurors, and everyone thought yesterday that the holdout must have been the black juror fighting for conviction? And it's actually 11 jurors looking to convict?
 
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