South Carolina policeman shoots, kills fleeing African american on video

[Heretic]

99% of the time I'm supportive of the police but I'll agree with you there. It's never made sense to me how they don't have to do any sort of maintenance testing or anything, just pass the standardized test in the academy and you're good. Too many slightly older cops that aren't physically fit for the job.

And/or the job is getting to them?

I'm no psychiatrist but maybe some of these guys that go over board like this are not quite right upstairs from the stress of the job? I'm not trying to justify it, just saying that maybe cops should be evaluated more often. Murder is murder.

[Jaimito]

The victim took off from his car after being pulled over. What an idiot. Cop shouldn't have killed him, but a lawful citizen wouldn't be in that position, just like Mike Brown case.

Dash Cam Video Shows Walter Scott Before Fatal Shooting

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/walter-scott-shooting/dash-cam-video-shows-walter-scott-fleeing-fatal-shooting-michael-n338786

[THERETOOL]

I'm pretty disgusted by this and can't believe it happened. I hope this now ex cop gets sent away for a very long time.

So glad the police around here are nothing like this. That also being said, I'm sure there are plenty of members of that department that are good people. The ones like this stand out and are hard to forget.

whats really crazy is how this story would have turned out without that video .. he would have gotten away scott free

[grandmaster]

whats really crazy is how this story would have turned out without that video .. he would have gotten away scott free

I don't think so.

The guy got shot 5 times in the back about 20 feet away. The investigators would have figured out what happened much later. This video sped things up dramatically.

On another note;

VPD shoots a guy who was actively stabbing multiple people in the skids. Glad to see our finest know when to shoot and not over some child support payment issue

[Gurn]

This story, and society, would be better served by leaving the colour of the participants out, until it is proven that colour was a factor.

[Sean Monahan]

And/or the job is getting to them?

I'm no psychiatrist but maybe some of these guys that go over board like this are not quite right upstairs from the stress of the job? I'm not trying to justify it, just saying that maybe cops should be evaluated more often. Murder is murder.

Eh, it's possible. My dad is in the twilight of his career now but worked patrol in Vancouver for 16 years before moving behind a desk and according to him, he's never once drawn his gun while on duty. His desk job causes him a hell of a lot more stress than patrol did.

As we saw in the one incident some years ago when a few VPD officers beat a guy up in Stanley Park, there's bad cops. All applicants and recruits go through pretty extensive psych evaluations, background checks, etc. but some simply fall through the cracks. Just like in any line of work, bad hires happen. It's an unfortunate but unavoidable truth.

[Stefan]

I find not fleeing from officers is a great way to avoid unnecessary altercations with them.

Not that I'm justifying the shooting, that's clearly excessive and ridiculous.

Step two is loosen the laws so people aren't going to prison for committing petty crimes.

I kid you not, I know a guy who was sentenced to 5 years to maximum security prison for being an accomplice to theft under 1000 in the states. He had to make bail to get out. He was just part of the situation, didn't even participate.

Figure out a solution to the ridiculous intolerance. Maybe better education? Racism is everywhere.

[Jaimito]

This story, and society, would be better served by leaving the colour of the participants out, until it is proven that colour was a factor.

So true

[Jaimito]

The guy had a arrest warrant for not paying child support. Model citizen.

Documents Show Warrant for Scott's Arrest

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/walter-scott-shooting/walter-scott-shooting-warrant-over-child-support-court-records-show-n339151

[grandmaster]

The guy had a arrest warrant for not paying child support. Model citizen.

Documents Show Warrant for Scott's Arrest

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/walter-scott-shooting/walter-scott-shooting-warrant-over-child-support-court-records-show-n339151

He was indeed arrestable. But not at this kind of force.

Like I said earlier, kudos for the VPD cop shooting the maniac actively stabbing people in the downtown east side. Those tough situations require lethal force, not bloody child support payments and not while he is running away.

I'm a huge supporter of police. We need them and they have a tough job. They do what needs to be done. This guy crossed that line in the greatest possible way. He is a piece of garbage that deserves prison time and perhaps the chair.

[Bocivus]

Did anyone see how the officer looked at the camera RIGHT after he shot the guy (made sure he got it on film). Has anyone seen the interviews of the family on CNN? The duping delight these characters have. When the "brother" was asked what he felt when he saw the video he said he was a "little sad, but happy" WTF? The "mother" of the guy said she immediately forgave the cop who executed her son a few days ago? No anger from anyone and the most telling part, NO TEARS!! This garbage is so fake and being used to keep the racial tensions going. Fan the flames of said tensions by pitting blacks against white, white against black, gay against straight, Hispanic against white and black etc. Isn't it obvious by now? Keep everyone in a state of hate and fear and prevent people form spiritually waking up and being able to see through this charade and the rest of the actors on these news channels. Look into it more. The interviews of the mom and brother are especially telling. No tears, obvious script reading, horrible acting. It's pathetic. Bunch of sellouts.

[McBackup]

Is this even news? I mean is anyone even surprised at this point? It seems every time I open up the news there's a story or video or something of some cop grossly abusing his power.

[McBackup]

The guy had a arrest warrant for not paying child support. Model citizen.

Documents Show Warrant for Scott's Arrest

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/walter-scott-shooting/walter-scott-shooting-warrant-over-child-support-court-records-show-n339151

Right. Not paying child support should=death penalty.

[Lockout Casualty]

Right. Not paying child support should=death penalty.

Easy, lest you join the peanut gallery.

[etsen3]

The guy had a arrest warrant for not paying child support. Model citizen.

Documents Show Warrant for Scott's Arrest

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/walter-scott-shooting/walter-scott-shooting-warrant-over-child-support-court-records-show-n339151

I think being a deadbeat pales in comparison to being a murderer.

This story, and society, would be better served by leaving the colour of the participants out, until it is proven that colour was a factor.

Thing is, it's almost impossible to prove something like that. We don't know what was going on in the cop's head. However, race is still relevant, because even if these individual cases cannot be put down to race, they are part of a larger pattern of police oppression towards blacks. Journalists should report all facts of the case. Whatever conclusions people draw from it is up to them.

[Gurn]

Journalists should report all facts of the case. Whatever conclusions people draw from it is up to them

All facts would be nice, but when you have it on film why mention black v white, they did not comment on the colour of shirt or the overweight aspect, nor mention what type of tree is in the vid, just black guy shot by white cop.

This isn't true reporting, it is more "it bleeds it leads, shock and awe, blood as entertainment." Unfortunately 95% of what passes of as news is just crap designed to confuse and control people..

my copy paster seems broken

[RUPERTKBD]

The victim took off from his car after being pulled over. What an idiot. Cop shouldn't have killed him, but a lawful citizen wouldn't be in that position, just like Mike Brown case.

Dash Cam Video Shows Walter Scott Before Fatal Shooting

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/walter-scott-shooting/dash-cam-video-shows-walter-scott-fleeing-fatal-shooting-michael-n338786

The guy had a arrest warrant for not paying child support. Model citizen.

Documents Show Warrant for Scott's Arrest

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/walter-scott-shooting/walter-scott-shooting-warrant-over-child-support-court-records-show-n339151

The guy obviously isn't a saint, but as in many of these police shootings, the punishment does not fit the crime.

The debate has never been about whether the shooting victims were model citizens, it is and always has been the question of whether the force used by police was excessive. Firing eight rounds at a guy running away from a traffic stop would definitely fall under the category of excessive force, IMHO.

Also, it would appear that local law enforcement shares that opinion, since the officer has been charged.

Finally, I see that just like death and taxes, a gun crime has brought out the obligatory Bocivus "conspiracy" comment.

[RWMc1]

Leave race out of it??? Seriously??! If a Black police officer were to shoot and kill an unarmed white person, would race be left out of it. It's because of the frequency of these incidents that they immediately make the news.

[taxi]

The guy had a arrest warrant for not paying child support. Model citizen.

Documents Show Warrant for Scott's Arrest

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/walter-scott-shooting/walter-scott-shooting-warrant-over-child-support-court-records-show-n339151

Who cares? How is that in any way relevant. Lots of people are behind on their child support, from all walks of life. How does that justify what can only be described as an execution? Maybe if he'd been arrested for a history of violent crimes, it might be relevant.

[RUPERTKBD]

Who cares? How is that in any way relevant. Lots of people are behind on their child support, from all walks of life. How does that justify what can only be described as an execution? Maybe if he'd been arrested for a history of violent crimes, it might be relevant.

Reminds me of a story I read several years ago about a suspected cop killer who was gunned down by police, somewhere in the deep south.

A reporter was interviewing the local sheriff and asked if he could explain why the bad guy's body was riddled with hundreds of bullets...

The Sheriff replied, "Because that's all the bullets we had."