South Carolina Officer Is Charged With Murder in Black Man’s Death

[Tom Joad]

http://news.yahoo.com/scott-south-ca...140923913.html

Good for him.

He's a Hero in my book.

We need more like him.

The bystander who captured cellphone video of South Carolina police officer Michael Slager fatally shooting Walter Scott, an unarmed black man, in the back says he almost deleted the footage out of fear other police officers might retaliate against him.

“I thought about erasing the video,” Feidin Santana told MSNBC on Wednesday. “I felt that my life, with this information, might be in danger.”

Santana, a 23-year-old from the Dominican Republic, said he decided to release the video after reading the police report.

“I saw it on the news and I said, ‘No, this is not ... what happened,’” Santana said.

[Boreas]

Originally Posted by Tom Joad

http://news.yahoo.com/scott-south-ca...140923913.html

Good for him.

He's a Hero in my book.

We need more like him.

One report I heard was that Santana gave the video to the Scott family, not the police. He was understandably concerned that, if he visited the police station, he might never leave.

The thing that haunts me about this is that the only thing new here is cell phone videos. Until these became ubiquitous, the cops operated with utter impunity. "He took my Taser" would have been the end of the story. And, actually, it occurs to me that the potential for getting caught on camera might have moderated police brutality/murder somewhat. In other words, as bad as it is now- 111 people killed by police last month alone - it used to be worse.

The cops don't like this situation one bit so now they're going after the "videographers" who catch them in the act. There's legislation, some pending, some passed, in several states and municipalities making it illegal to film the police "in the performance of their duties." And then there's what they've done to Ramsey Orta, the man who videoed Pantaleo murdering Eric Garner.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/article...er-strike.html

John

[Tom Joad]

Originally Posted by Boreas

There's legislation, some pending, some passed, in several states and municipalities making it illegal to film the police "in the performance of their duties."

It seems like that should be unconstitutional.

[Boreas]

Originally Posted by Tom Joad

It seems like that should be unconstitutional.

So?

John

[Pio1980]

Originally Posted by Tom Joad

It seems like that should be unconstitutional.

Afaik, it is.

Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk

[Tom Joad]

Originally Posted by Boreas

And then there's what they've done to Ramsey Orta, the man who videoed Pantaleo murdering Eric Garner.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/article...er-strike.html

John

That's horrible, but there must be a million ways the Cops can make your life miserable if they get a hard on for you.

I had a cop act like a fucking asshole to me a few months back. I thought about reporting him, but I figured if I did the next time I hit 36 mph in a 35 mph zone, I'd get ticketed. They can always find some kind of chickenshit like that when they want to. Good old selective enforcement.

[merrylander]

Toles git it right especially Zeke's way of looking at it in his comment in the bottom right hand corner.

[Ike Bana]

Originally Posted by Zeke

It wasn't necessary to find out.

NOT GUILTY

Pretty simple to discern.

And, by law, I'm sure the officer would have done fine, just as he did.

Not trial by citizen jury...correct Zeke? Gee whilikers...Zeke is not immaculate. Reckon what else he's got wrong, eh?

Slager's police chief says he did not follow department protocol when he shot Walter Scott in the back, Zeke.

[matteos]

I used to think racism was on its way out in America. And it's not even the actions of cops that makes me think it's as strong as ever. Reading comments in various news outlets about this incident and others (A 15 year old kid is sueing in LA for $20 million because plain clothes cops shot him while trying to shoot another kid holding a toy gun)..

It's the comments.. relentless comments calling a young teenage boy a thug and a N* even though he wasn't even holding the TOY gun, just happened to be standing near somebody. (I used to play with toy guns as a child in England)... Not even the first story I heard of cops gunning down a child with a toy gun.

Then the defense comments of this POS cop who murders someone, plants evidence and fabricates a story. How much longer are we going to tolerate reading the comments of people who call victims thugs and n*?

I would crack someone in the face if they said that near me, but this is the internet and disgusting vile opinions are par for the course here.

[matteos]

Another cop dispensing justice to a man committing the crime of being black

http://www.today.com/news/levar-jone...ing-1D80239682

Black people are 21 times more likely to be shot by the cops.

http://www.propublica.org/article/de...lack-and-white