# South Carolina police officer charged with murder. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 8, 2015, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-carolina-police-officer-charged-with-murder/717087 "2015-04-08T01:36:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 14
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2015, 9:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-carolina-police-officer-charged-with-murder/717087/261 "2015-04-11T09:34:42Z")
> [@Kaio](#): > > Dude. TAMIR RICE. Seriously? Poor kid wasn’t even given a chance to respond. Don’t be silly. He was given 1.5 seconds to explain to the officer, as he departed his vehicle, exactly what the situation was vis a vis the toy gun. Some people are saying he has as much as _two entire seconds_. Apparently, the Cleveland P.D. feels that the true crime in that situation was the wanton disregard by young Tamir Rice for the value of an officer’s time. The child wasted two seconds of the cop’s day? Apparently Clevelan P.D. feels the child got what he had coming to him. :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad: ---
**Author:** ![obbn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d6d6ee/32.png) [@obbn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obbn)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2015, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-carolina-police-officer-charged-with-murder/717087/262 "2015-04-11T16:01:14Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > BART cop at the Bayfair BART station in Oakland, for one. Don’t know about the cuffs, but the guy was face down, being restrained by the cop’s partner, when the cop pulled out his 9 mm and shot the guy in the back. Said he was going for his taser and grabbed the wrong gun. > By watching the news? If I were a black person in America today, I would be concerned in any interaction with the police. He’ll, I’m a middle aged white guy and I’m not thrilled about any interaction with cops in today’s atmosphere. Yeah, I realize that if I was black I’d have more to fear, but I’ve gotten to the point where I view cops as government backed thugs. Cops are too unpredictable for anyone to feel safe. That’s a shame as they should be the ones we trust the most. ---
**Author:** ![get\_lives](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecb155/32.png) [@get\_lives](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/get_lives)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2015, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-carolina-police-officer-charged-with-murder/717087/263 "2015-04-11T17:07:34Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > (post shortened) > > Yes, it does appear that Scott was fighting with Slager. There are two eyewitnesses, and a video. CNN, and several of the other media outlets, are showing heavily edited versions of the Santana video that somehow manage to exclude the slap and tingle. I watched the whole thing. You’re wrong. He slapped the taser to the ground and ran. And what is “slap and tingle”? A typo? ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2015, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-carolina-police-officer-charged-with-murder/717087/264 "2015-04-11T17:28:56Z")
> [@get\_lives](#): > > I watched the whole thing. You’re wrong. He slapped the taser to the ground and ran. > > And what is “slap and tingle”? A typo? Who do you believe slapped the Taser to the ground? The police officer who, in the line of duty, was attempting to detain a suspect, or was it the fleeing suspect who was physically resisting arrest? Specifically, was it Scott or Slager? The “slap” would be when the Taser was knocked out of the officer’s hand. The “tingle” is the effect of the current flowing from the Taser, along the wires, thru the prongs, and into the targeted suspect. _Bzzzzzzzz. Bzzzzzzzz. Bzzzzzzzz. Oooooh, that tingles_. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![get\_lives](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecb155/32.png) [@get\_lives](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/get_lives)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2015, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-carolina-police-officer-charged-with-murder/717087/265 "2015-04-11T17:31:55Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > Who do you believe slapped the Taser to the ground? The police officer who, in the line of duty, was attempting to detain a suspect, or was it the fleeing suspect who was physically resisting arrest? Specifically, was it Scott or Slager? > > The “slap” would be when the Taser was knocked out of the officer’s hand. The “tingle” is the effect of the current flowing from the Taser, along the wires, thru the prongs, and into the targeted suspect. _Bzzzzzzzz. Bzzzzzzzz. Bzzzzzzzz. Oooooh, that tingles_. 😃 Scott slapped the taser and ran. Why would the cop slap the taser? Why would you even assume I could have meant that? I used the phrase “and ran”. Only Scott ran. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2015, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-carolina-police-officer-charged-with-murder/717087/266 "2015-04-11T17:42:34Z")
Scott was resisting in the opposite direction. ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2015, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-carolina-police-officer-charged-with-murder/717087/267 "2015-04-11T17:43:40Z")
> [@get\_lives](#): > > Scott slapped the taser and ran. Why would the cop slap the taser? Why would you even assume I could have meant that? I used the phrase “and ran”. Only Scott ran. Just checking to make sure we’re talking about the same thing. So we agree that Scott physically attacked a police officer, and disarmed that officer. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2015, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-carolina-police-officer-charged-with-murder/717087/268 "2015-04-11T17:51:47Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > Just checking to make sure we’re talking about the same thing. So we agree that Scott physically attacked a police officer, and disarmed that officer. **doorhinge**. Do you think there’s something in the description of what Scott did that’s going to make us say, “Oh, okay, sure, it’s fine that he got shot in the back eight times”? If not, why are you focusing all your attention on what the murder victim did, instead of on what the alleged murderer did? ---
**Author:** ![get\_lives](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecb155/32.png) [@get\_lives](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/get_lives)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2015, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-carolina-police-officer-charged-with-murder/717087/269 "2015-04-11T18:00:09Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > Just checking to make sure we’re talking about the same thing. So we agree that Scott physically attacked a police officer, and disarmed that officer. He was doing nothing but trying to get away, and avoid being tased. It was dumb, but that doesn’t deserve the death penalty, which you don’t seem to understand. ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2015, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-carolina-police-officer-charged-with-murder/717087/270 "2015-04-11T18:03:00Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > **doorhinge**. Do you think there’s something in the description of what Scott did that’s going to make us say, “Oh, okay, sure, it’s fine that he got shot in the back eight times”? > > If not, why are you focusing all your attention on what the murder victim did, instead of on what the alleged murderer did? I have no idea what you’re going to say, or why you will say it. Is no my job, man. Are you ordering me to focus all of my attention on what the alleged murderer did? In the “In My Humble Opinion (IMHO)” forum? How odd. 😕 There were two people involved in the Scott-Slager confrontation. You’re free to ignore the actions of one, and concentrate on the actions of the other. I’m not going to stop you. ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2015, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-carolina-police-officer-charged-with-murder/717087/271 "2015-04-11T18:07:34Z")
> [@get\_lives](#): > > He was doing nothing but trying to get away, and avoid being tased. It was dumb, but that doesn’t deserve the death penalty, which you don’t seem to understand. Did I say that Scott deserved the death penalty? It seems as if you’re saying that I said Scott deserved the death penalty. If that’s true, then you’re wrong. ---
**Author:** ![get\_lives](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecb155/32.png) [@get\_lives](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/get_lives)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2015, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-carolina-police-officer-charged-with-murder/717087/272 "2015-04-11T18:28:06Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > Did I say that Scott deserved the death penalty? > > It seems as if you’re saying that I said Scott deserved the death penalty. If that’s true, then you’re wrong. I can hear the dog whistle. I may not agree with it, but I’m not deaf to it. ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2015, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-carolina-police-officer-charged-with-murder/717087/273 "2015-04-11T18:36:41Z")
> [@get\_lives](#): > > I can hear the dog whistle. I may not agree with it, but I’m not deaf to it. Good for you. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2015, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-carolina-police-officer-charged-with-murder/717087/274 "2015-04-11T18:38:10Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > **doorhinge**. Do you think there’s something in the description of what Scott did that’s going to make us say, “Oh, okay, sure, it’s fine that he got shot in the back eight times”? No, but hopefully it will illustrate that Scott was giving the officer the impression that he was a desperate criminal in big trouble and determined to flee at all costs. Therefore hopefully people will stop making ludicrous accusations to the effect that Scott was shot for having a brake light out, for driving while black, or because it’s open season on black men for the police in South Carolina. The fact is that Slager was polite and professional when he first stopped Scott. There was absolutely nothing bullyish or intimidating at all in his demeanor. Then when Scott ran, Slager first chased after him, then caught up with him and ordered him to the ground, then wrestled with and tazed him, all before shooting him as he fled. All of this shows Slager didn’t start out with a racist attitude looking to give shit to this random black guy he stopped, and it means he undertook all the non-lethal means at his disposal to stop and apprehend Scott before he shot him. Slager also has a five and a half year work history in the predominantly black area where the shooting occurred during which only one complaint has been made against him. We can debate whether the shooting was warranted, but it’s blatantly and factually wrong to make accusations such as the ones I referred to above. And nitpick: Scott was fired at eight times but he wasn’t shot eight times. He was hit three times and grazed in the ear. ---
**Author:** ![DinoR](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dinor/32/2821_2.png) [@DinoR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DinoR)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2015, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-carolina-police-officer-charged-with-murder/717087/275 "2015-04-11T18:42:59Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > So we agree that Scott physically attacked a police officer, and disarmed that officer. Quite possibly but that still doesn’t pass the test for using deadly force at the point it was used. If Scott were alive he could have his own trial for his crimes. Slager will for his. They can both be criminal in the same incident. The department has indirectly commented on their opinion. They fired Slager…not suspended till after a trial, fired. They fired him 4 days after the incident… The thin blue line looked at the evidence and almost immediately parted to chuck Slager out of the group. To quote the North Charleston mayor > [@Mayor Keith Summey](#): > > When you’re wrong, you’re wrong ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2015, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-carolina-police-officer-charged-with-murder/717087/276 "2015-04-11T19:04:32Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > No, but hopefully it will illustrate that Scott was giving the officer the impression that he was a desperate criminal in big trouble and determined to flee at all costs. Which is still not justification for shooting a fleeing, unarmed suspect. > [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > Slager also has a five and a half year work history in the predominantly black area where the shooting occurred during which only one complaint has been made against him. And that complaint came from an innocent Black man, whom Slager tased. And this was _after_ the witness to an earlier crime yelled to Slager and his partner that the man was not the suspect, and didn’t look anything like the suspect. And this was _after_ the innocent man raised his hands in the air. The officers stated that the six-foot-three innocent man looked ‘just like’ the five-foot-five suspect. Sounds a bit like ‘They all look alike’ if you ask me. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2015, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-carolina-police-officer-charged-with-murder/717087/277 "2015-04-11T19:15:03Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > No, but hopefully it will illustrate that Scott was giving the officer the impression that he was a desperate criminal in big trouble and determined to flee at all costs. > > Therefore hopefully people will stop making ludicrous accusations to the effect that Scott was shot for having a brake light out, for driving while black, or because it’s open season on black men for the police in South Carolina. > > The fact is that Slager was polite and professional when he first stopped Scott. There was absolutely nothing bullyish or intimidating at all in his demeanor. Then when Scott ran, Slager first chased after him, then caught up with him and ordered him to the ground, then wrestled with and tazed him, all before shooting him as he fled. > > All of this shows Slager didn’t start out with a racist attitude looking to give shit to this random black guy he stopped, and it means he undertook all the non-lethal means at his disposal to stop and apprehend Scott before he shot him. > > Slager also has a five and a half year work history in the predominantly black area where the shooting occurred during which only one complaint has been made against him. > > We can debate whether the shooting was warranted, but it’s blatantly and factually wrong to make accusations such as the ones I referred to above. > > And nitpick: Scott was fired at eight times but he wasn’t shot eight times. He was hit three times and grazed in the ear. A good summary of whats finally been reported so far. The early reports of a racist cop casually shooting a black guy multiple times, for the hell of it, were very misleading. We’re finding out now there was a significant struggle before the shooting. The officer’s calm and professional demeanor at the beginning of the traffic stop will be important in the trial. He wasn’t angry or looking to hurt anybody. I have no idea how a jury will react. There’s still a lot unknown about the struggle. Will any witnesses emerge? Will the officer testify in his own defense? He’ll probably get convicted based on that video. But its not a certainty. Theres no question that he should have just let the guy go. Wait for backup and searched that area. I’ve seen that play out on Cops many times. They release a dog and find a guy hiding in just a few minutes. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2015, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-carolina-police-officer-charged-with-murder/717087/278 "2015-04-11T19:20:38Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > He’ll probably get convicted based on that video. But its not a certainty. And well he should be. Regardless of what happened before, he’s still not allowed to shoot a fleeing, unarmed suspect in the back. ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2015, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-carolina-police-officer-charged-with-murder/717087/279 "2015-04-11T19:22:50Z")
> [@DinoR](#): > > Quite possibly but that still doesn’t pass the test for using deadly force at the point it was used. If Scott were alive he could have his own trial for his crimes. Slager will for his. They can both be criminal in the same incident. The department has indirectly commented on their opinion. They fired Slager…not suspended till after a trial, fired. They fired him 4 days after the incident… The thin blue line looked at the evidence and almost immediately parted to chuck Slager out of the group. > > To quote the North Charleston mayor Slager altered the crime scene. That requires some form of disciplinary action. Scott wasn’t shot because he fled the scene of the traffic stop. There is no ACTUAL evidence that Scott was shot because he was black or that Slager was a racist. There is no evidence that a Korean or Canadian wouldn’t have been shot after physically attacking and disarming a police officer. There are many “claims” being made about this case based on half-assed reporting geared more to promoting viewership, than vetting the facts or uncovering the truth. Personally, I wonder what Slager will be charged with when this case actually goes to trial? Manslaughter? Premeditated 1st deg murder? (or whatever South Carolina calls them.) Will there be a plea deal? I also wonder what testimony the un-named passenger in the Scott vehicle will provide? Was he a co-worker, or wasn’t he? Did Scott tell the passenger that he would never be taken alive? idk. Did Scott say his ass still hurt from the last time he was in prison? idk. Did Scott say he was going to run to avoid arrest for a pending warrant? idk. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2015, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-carolina-police-officer-charged-with-murder/717087/280 "2015-04-11T19:30:40Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Which is still not justification for shooting a fleeing, unarmed suspect. I agree. Unfortunately, and due to Scott’s actions, Slager had not had the opportunity at that point to determine whether Scott was armed or not. > [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > that complaint came from an innocent Black man, whom Slager tased. And this was _after_ the witness to an earlier crime yelled to Slager and his partner that the man was not the suspect, and didn’t look anything like the suspect. And this was _after_ the innocent man raised his hands in the air. The officers stated that the six-foot-three innocent man looked ‘just like’ the five-foot-five suspect. Sounds a bit like ‘They all look alike’ if you ask me. Not necessarily. My house was broken into once. I’ve posted about it here in the past. Amidst his wanderings about the house, the guy came into my bedroom and stood over me in bed, apparently looking to see if a woman was there too. I told the cops he was about 6’1" and 195 lbs. They caught him after getting his fingerprints off a pane of glass he broke to get into the house. Turned out he was about 5’8" and 145 lbs. You can’t always rely on eyewitness descriptions. As to the rest of it, I don’t know and he may have been in the wrong in that instance, but I do think that to generate only one complaint - even if in that instance the complaint may have been warranted - in a five-and-a-half year history of working in a predominantly black area is a pretty good indicator that Slager is not by nature a brutal and racist cop. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-carolina-police-officer-charged-with-murder/717087.md?page=13) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-carolina-police-officer-charged-with-murder/717087.md?page=15)