Thursday, April 9, 2015
Current Event: South Carolina Police Officer charged with murder of unarmed black man
North Charleston police officer Michael T. Slager was charged with murder after a video surfaced in which Slager fired 8 times at Walter Scott as he fled during an arrest. This is only the latest in incidents which have resulted in the deaths of unarmed people at the hands of police officers. Slager had been involved in a scuffle with Scott as he arrested him for a broken taillight on his car during a traffic stop during which Scott opted to flee. Slager caught up to Scott and then the two proceeded to scuffle during which something appeared to fall to the grass. After a brief struggle, Scott is shot 8 times by Slager in the back as he is about 15-20 feet away. Slager had claimed that Scott had taken his taser but a witness's video recording of the incident contradicts this in which he is shown to pick something up from the sight of his initial struggle with Scott and proceed to drop it near his body, possibly the taser that he had initially used to restrain Scott. After the shooting, Slager is shown to stand over Scott's lifeless body which was left handcuffed face-down on the grass. A second officer arrives on the scene putting on blue medical glove but does not perform CPR. A third officer later arrives with a medical kit but also does not perform CPR. Another unarmed man killed by an incompetent and trigger-happy police officer. This seems to have become the trend in police stops of black men by white police officers.
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I agree that police brutality has become a trend in the news, why do you think its still happening? Is it only just white cops who are doing this? As for the incident you're blogging about, eight bullets is excessive especially if the guy was close, and in the video the officer doesn't even attempt to chase him, but wouldn't you think that it is common sense to not run from an officer?
ReplyDeleteThe problem that arises from this situation is one of two scenarios: the officer used force to protect himself from a hostile citizen or discrimination is brought upon a minority as a white officer ends his life over a struggle. Although both do not have a pretty outcome, one can be worse than the other. In a nation based upon equality, it is our duty to determine, as citizens of the United States, whether this injustice will be forgotten or recieve the justice it desrves. Police brutality should never be disregarded, we must always feel safe around the authorities.
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