SMITHBITS RADIO MAGAZINE

Wednesday, April 08, 2015

Police Officer Michael T Slager's Report Before the Video Showed Up

Everything The Police Said About Walter Scott’s Death Before A Video Showed What Really Happened

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A statement released by North Charleston police spokesman Spencer Pryor said a man ran on foot from the traffic stop and an officer deployed his department-issued Taser in an attempt to stop him.
 That did not work, police said, and an altercation ensued as the men struggled over the device. Police allege that during the struggle the man gained control of the Taser and attempted to use it against the officer.

The officer then resorted to his service weapon and shot him, police alleged.
The story clearly came from Slager but he was able to use the authoritative voice of the police department to bolster his narrative. Meanwhile, Scott could only be defended by friends who did not witness the incident. “Walter was a nice, good, honest person… He was a grown man working hard to take care of his family,” said Samuel Scott, the victim’s cousin.

By Sunday, the police department had clammed up and refused to release any additional information about the events. (It’s unclear when the department became aware of the existence of the video.)
On Monday, Slager sought to reinforce his narrative, this time releasing a statement through his attorney. From The Post And Courier:

Slager thinks he properly followed all procedures and policies before resorting to deadly force, lawyer David Aylor said in a statement.

“When confronted, Officer Slager reached for his Taser — as trained by the department — and then a struggle ensued,” Aylor said. “The driver tried to overpower Officer Slager in an effort to take his Taser.”

Seconds later, the report added, he radioed that the suspect wrested control of the device. Even with the Taser’s prongs deployed, the device can still be used as a stun gun to temporarily incapacitate someone.

Slager “felt threatened and reached for his department-issued firearm and fired his weapon,” his attorney added.

If the video had not surfaced, that’s where the story might have ended. In nearly all cases where an officer fires a weapon, that is the end of the story. A study by The State found “[p]olice in South Carolina have fired their weapons at 209 suspects in the past five years” but none were convicted. “We ruled all the shootings were justified – and we looked at dozens and dozens of them,” one former prosecutor told The State.

In this case, the video revealed a very different scenario. Scott, who was unarmed and fleeing, was shot in the back by Slager from a distance of at least 15 feet. After Scott was fatally shot, the video appears to capture Slager planting an object next to Scott.

Police in a matter of hours declared the occurrence at the corner of Remount and Craig roads a traffic stop gone wrong, alleging the dead man fought with an officer over his Taser before deadly force was employed.

If guns kill people, then pencils misspell words, cars drive drunk, and spoons make people fat

If guns kill people, then pencils misspell words, cars drive drunk, and spoons make people fat.

Walter Scott's Death Mourned by Big Boi, Janelle Monae & More
10:43PM Tuesday
April 7, 2015



A South Carolina police officer has been charged with murder in the death of an unarmed black man on Saturday, and celebrities including Big Boi, Janelle Monae and more have taken to Twitter to pay tribute to Walter Scott.
 
Lecrae on Ferguson: 'The System We Have in Place Has Biases' In addition to the swift murder charge against Officer Michael T. Slager, what makes this case different from the controversial death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., is the fact that the entire incident was caught on cell phone video -- including the officer allegedly dropping a taser near Scott's body to make it look like he had a weapon. The video was obtained and posted by The New York Times. Eric Garner's death at the hands of a New York police officer last year was also videotaped, but -- as in Ferguson -- the grand jury decided not to press charges in that case.No Charges in Eric Garner's Chokehold Death: Hip-Hop Community Reacts See below for celebrity reactions:pic.twitter.com/NFNRIAAWSMRT @IlllIllIl: This is a cop "fearing for his life" #WalterScott pic.twitter.com/jC1XVNLcBc This brought tears to my eyes. #WalterScott reminds me of my uncle, family. Can only imagine the pain his fam feels: http://t.co/ycqujXjDnn #WalterScott #WalterScott. Please God, help people find their way to humanity."Texas Bill Would Make Recording Police Illegal http://t.co/XdLG7RAEat via @HuffPostPol" Texans...Protect yourselves. Don't let this happen. You look at the #WalterScott video & think it shows something other than the wrongful murder of a fleeing man? What is wrong with your eyes? You look at the #WalterScott video & give money to the officer who gunned him down? What is wrong with your heart? Look at the #WalterScott video. Imagine he was your loved one, & what his family feels. Let go of whatever has hardened you. Please. At this point, the Slager murder seems like a message, a mafia thing, like it's meant to shut people down or set them off. It HAS TO END I love how the #WalterScott coverage speaks to the commendations of the assailant & the "criminal record" of the victim #SadButNotSurprising        
Original story: billboard.com