South Carolina cop who shot unarmed black man is actually going to prison

[fabulouslyghetto]

I had to re-read the title because I was sure it was a misprint.

Christmas came early I don't wanna sound greedy but for next year I want them to actually stop shooting us.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...sentenced-to-20-years/?utm_term=.aa67d27b974b

The former South Carolina police officer who shot and killed Walter Scott, an unarmed black man, following a traffic stop was sentenced Thursday to 20 years behind bars in a federal case stemming from the fatal encounter.

 

[medic1]

After reading the article where it states he shot the fleeing man "with a barrage of shots" in the back, then the video shows him placing his Tazer beside the body of the dead man, then claiming that he was in fear of his life.

20 years although a long sentence, is in my opinion not long enough. He should have gotten life with no parole.

His actions clearly show that he was doing his utmost to pervert the course of justice, knowing full well that he had just murdered an unarmed fleeing man.

We can hope that this case may make officers stop and think what their actions may incur.

 

[MakeDigitalLove]

Good riddance.

Needs to happen to more Cops.

 

[fabulouslyghetto]

His actions clearly show that he was doing his utmost to pervert the course of justice, knowing full well that he had just murdered an unarmed fleeing man.

People, especially of the "Why didn't he just follow orders?" variety seem to forget that the boys in blue have a long history of corruption and violence in this country, where do they think police were during lynch parties and racially motivated terrorism? Either participating or at least in the crowd gettin their rocks off.

There's a distinct effort to justify and water down America's history of violence towards brown people. And this man's status as a vet strangely never came up in spite of America's love affair with veterans.

 

[fabulouslyghetto]

Good riddance.

Needs to happen to more Cops.

And people who just think they're cops. I'm really wondering how we even call this a justice system, there are women doing more time for defending themselves against abusive mates than Brock Turner did for raping an unconscious girl. To even call it a justice system seems... perverse.

 

[gsdx]

People, especially of the "Why didn't he just follow orders?"

Indeed. If George Zimmerman had followed orders, Tayvon Martin would likely still be alive today. Zimmerman didn't follow the orders of the Neighbourhood Watch, nor did he follow the orders of the 9-1-1 operator. I'm still saddened by this injustice.

Still, it was nice to read that Slager was chicken enough to plea for his life. Unfortunately, this is just one success in a multitude of failures. There need to be many, many more for the message to get through: a badge is not a licence to kill.

 

[rareboy]

Finally.

They get one kind of right.

He deserved a longer sentence. It was murder.

 

[Benvolio]

After reading the article where it states he shot the fleeing man "with a barrage of shots" in the back, then the video shows him placing his Tazer beside the body of the dead man, then claiming that he was in fear of his life.

20 years although a long sentence, is in my opinion not long enough. He should have gotten life with no parole.

His actions clearly show that he was doing his utmost to pervert the course of justice, knowing full well that he had just murdered an unarmed fleeing man.

We can hope that this case may make officers stop and think what their actions may incur.

Officers do not have the luxury to “stop and think”; they must make split second judgment decisions with lives, including their own in the balance. Then they are judged by people considering it at their leisure, often by people with superior information, including videos viewed in slow motion. In this case I would agree that multiple shots in the back cannot be considered self defense.

 

[fabulouslyghetto]

Finally.

They get one kind of right.

He deserved a longer sentence. It was murder.

A vulgar one (as if there's any other kind) at that, the way he treated the body was.... sick. But alas black people in America are used to a two-sided justice system we take whatever crumbs we can get.

 

[MakeDigitalLove]

And people who just think they're cops. I'm really wondering how we even call this a justice system, there are women doing more time for defending themselves against abusive mates than Brock Turner did for raping an unconscious girl. To even call it a justice system seems... perverse.

America definitely does not have a justice system. If people call it that I want to know who is exactly getting said Justice.

 

[Benvolio]

America definitely does not have a justice system. If people call it that I want to know who is exactly getting said Justice.

No justice system is perfect since they rely upon fallible people. If anything we have too many technicalities shielding the guilty.

 

[fabulouslyghetto]

America definitely does not have a justice system. If people call it that I want to know who is exactly getting said Justice.

Straight white guys seem to be doing pretty well, x2 if their dad is golf buddies with the judge.

 

[opinterph]

Officers do not have the luxury to “stop and think”; they must make split second judgment decisions with lives, including their own in the balance. Then they are judged by people considering it at their leisure, often by people with superior information, including videos viewed in slow motion.

All of us must make split second decisions.

That’s why police officers receive lots of training to help them recognize when their “fear” is justified. When a man fleeing away from you causes you to fear for your life, maybe you should find a job that doesn’t require you to interact with other people.

 

[gsdx]

All of us must make split second decisions.

That’s why police officers receive lots of training to help them recognize when their “fear” is justified. When a man fleeing away from you causes you to fear for your life, maybe you should find a job that doesn’t require you to interact with other people.

Or people lying flat on their backs with their arms in the air.

It's disgusting that people actually defend such behaviour and make excuses for them. Shooting a man in the back who is walking away is just as bad as shooting people from a hotel window who are doing nothing more than enjoying a music concert.

 

[fabulouslyghetto]

Officers do not have the luxury to “stop and think”; they must make split second judgment decisions with lives, including their own in the balance.

They sure as fuck better "stop and think." They have the LUXURY of multiple hours of training to prevent them from, ya know, arbitrarily killing people. Isn't that supposed to be part of what makes America so great [STRIKE]for white people[/STRIKE] is that [STRIKE]white people [/STRIKE] everybody gets their day in court? There's no purpose of having a judicial system if cops get to be judge, jury and executioner.

This "fear for their life" b.s. seems to only be working against African American males which, culturally and historically, we've all been trained to be afraid of and there are countless studies that show people STILL have a fear or negative perception of men of color. Even a 12 year old, 4'9 110 lb black male is seen as a 6'7 380 lb beast in the eyes of many officers which, ironically, makes THEM dangerous TO black men not the other way around.

 

[eastofeden]

One example I have used for years....

When I was in the back of a cop car kicking and screaming and calling them every name in the book....guess what? I didn't represent "white people"...I was just an asshole drunk...

If I had been black doing the same thing...they would have seen me as "black people - the whole race" instead of the individual I am....

That is how things work. That is why there is racism....

I will be happy when he spends every one of those days in prison.

 

[fabulouslyghetto]

One example I have used for years....

When I was in the back of a cop car kicking and screaming and calling them every name in the book....guess what? I didn't represent "white people"...I was just an asshole drunk...

If I had been black doing the same thing...they would have seen me as "black people - the whole race" instead of the individual I am....

That is how things work. That is why there is racism....

I will be happy when he spends every one of those days in prison.

I've been saying this for years, we don't get the opportunity to be individuals, as soon as a black person is on the news acting a buffoon people point and go "Look! See! Told ya so! They can't... they're all....." Same kinda goes for gay people to some degree, although fortunately with less deadly results.

 

[frankfrank]

To even call it a justice system seems... perverse.

Well, to be fair, sometimes we call it the "criminal justice system."

That's appropriate, because the justice system IS INDEED a very criminal one.

Furthermore, consider this: If one is to write out, in a traditional sentence, what the car says, you come up with...

"We serve and protect Chicago police." Yes, they sure do protect their own!

Even a 12 year old, 4'9 110 lb black male is seen as a 6'7 380 lb beast in the eyes of many officers which, ironically, makes THEM dangerous TO black men not the other way around.

As I was reading this thread, it was occurring to me that there are so many other cases that a stiff sentence should have been meted out (such as George Zimmerman), and I was specifically thinking about the murder in Cleveland. That cop (or was it two in the police car?) was/were entirely acquitted, right? This sentencing helps stop the scourge, so that perhaps one black guy or girl (as they love to rough-up female prostitutes, etc.) will have their life saved within the next two years in another incident but, by and large, one prison sentence is unlikely to slow it down.

One long sentence is better than none, though, which is the usual result.

It just occurs to me how interesting that I unthinkingly used both meanings of "sentence" in this post...

 

[medic1]

All of us must make split second decisions.

That’s why police officers receive lots of training to help them recognize when their “fear” is justified. When a man fleeing away from you causes you to fear for your life, maybe you should find a job that doesn’t require you to interact with other people.

Thanks, you saved me having to respond to his post quoting mine. The sad fact is if there had been no video footage, both from his own cam, and that of a private citizen then he may well have gotten away with murder. Even though he emptied his sidearm into a suspects back.

 

[MakeDigitalLove]

And the case of Daniel Shaver, the Officer has been acquitted of any wrong doing. Even though he was unarmed and crawling on the ground.

Of course the Officer “feared for his life and others.”

How do people expect people like me to trust Police or our “Justice” System when shit like this keeps happening? People are delusional.