POLICE BRUTALITY CASES: WALTER SCOTT MURDER & MORE

[BlueTiki]

I guess if you just are okay with what someone tells you it's easy enough . . .

The secret of religion.

Seems to be working great for radical Islam.

Or political ideology.

And fashion.

[HairOfTheDog]

Feds Probe Police Shooting/Homicide of Unarmed Teen in South Carolina


^ 19-year-old Zachary Hammond was shot dead in the parking lot of a Hardee's fast food restaurant in Seneca, South Carolina on July 26^th. He was reportedly on a first date with Tori Morton, 23, and undercover cops were looking to bust them for selling drugs.

The officer claims he shot Hammond dead through the driver's side window because Hammond was driving towards him and feared for his life.

Seneca Police department have refused to name the officer involved in the shooting. Police say the officer was a victim of “attempted murder” by Hammond, who was driving the vehicle. According to Seneca Police Chief John Covington, Hammond was driving the car “toward the officer” who was trying to make the stop.

Officers found just 10 grams of marijuana on Morton and arrested her. The police report failed to mention the two gunshots that killed Hammond. Covington said the officer approached the car with his gun out, as is protocol with drug arrests.

Paul Hammond, Zachary's father, told reporters that, 'Zachary was a real person. He's my son. Somebody has to answer.' 'What caused the officer to decide what he needed to do was take my 19-year-old son's life. It's a struggle right now, every day, just not knowing.'

The family's attorney Eric Bland told The Washington Post: 'The shots were so close in proximity to each other that it would be physically impossible unless the car was stopped and the officer came up very close to an open window.' The family and their attorney feel that their would be more outrage if their son had been black.

The Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, U.S. attorney's office and the FBI have opened a case into Hammond's death. The announcement comes a day after lawyers for Hammond's family requested an inquiry due to what they called 'the substantial violations of (the late teenager's) civil rights' and the need for a 'transparent and independent investigation of the Seneca Police Department.'

'This investigation will run parallel to the state's investigation,' the Department of Justice said in a statement.'Because this is an ongoing matter, we are not able to comment further at this time.'

Yesterday, Hammond’s family released the results of a private autopsy, which concluded that both bullets entered Hammond’s body from the back. According to the autopsy, the second bullet proved to be fatal, entering from the back of Hammond’s left side and passing through his chest, piercing his lungs and heart. The coroner did not conclude how Hammond's body was positioned when he was shot.

The county's official coroner's report did not indicate from which direction Hammond was hit.

Refs:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morni...e-outrage/
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-...riend.html
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If Hammond wasn't trying to run over the cop and got shot over a marijuana sell, this is truly an outrage. If Hammond was, in fact, trying to run over the cop, then he was essentially "armed" and whether or not the shooting was justified depends on other factors, primarily related to whether the officer was reasonably in fear of great bodily harm or death.

I hope the truth comes out. I'd like to hear what his older date, Ms. Morton, has to say.

[Maggot]

Things happen fast in these type situations. The cop should have just let him get away and hopefully he wouldn't run over someone trying to get away. Then the cop would be liable for not stopping him. but at least the kid would be alive to go to jail.

Bottom line..............don't run.

[Duchess]

If he was shot through the driver's side window, wouldn't that put the officer off to the side of the car?

[Maggot]

If he was shot through the driver's side window, wouldn't that put the officer off to the side of the car?

Unless the kid turned at the last min. Like I said these things happen fast. I know cops are trained for these things but I cannot envision a cop shooting just for thrills. Looking back at ones actions is easy, hindsight is always 20/20.

[HairOfTheDog]

If he was shot through the driver's side window, wouldn't that put the officer off to the side of the car?

It's hard for me to envision how this shooting went down, in either the police's version of events or the family's version of events (based on the independent coroner's report).

Like you, I question how the officer could have been in danger of being run over if he was beside the vehicle and shot through the driver's side window, as the police contend. I also question how Hammond could have been shot from behind (as the family contends) if the officer shot through the driver's side window.

Here's what the family attorney released to the media after the independent coroner's report was completed.


The family immediately directed that a second autopsy be done. The attached autopsy report was done by independent pathologists James Fulcher, M.D. and Michael Ward, M.D. on Friday July 30, 2015. These two physicians are well respected pathologists with the Greenville South Carolina Hospital System. Their findings are telling.

They directly contradict the narrative that Chief Covington has tried to shape in this matter. It was deceptive to state that Zachary was shot in the “chest and shoulder”. It did not give it proper context. It implied that the officer shot Zachary from the front. He did not. The shots were clearly fired from the side to the rear of the vehicle through driver’s open window at close range. Here are some of the inescapable conclusions that we now know from the past week and the attached autopsy report.

Here is the clear import of this report:

1. Clearly this officer was not in any danger at the time he fired the two shots into the car of being hit by the car.

2. Any perceived danger that this officer may have had of being hit by the car (which we deem as not being reasonable) traveling forward or towards him was no longer present.

3. There was no gun. This officer was not being shot at. The national gun standards (New York and Albuquerque) provide that an officer cannot shoot into a moving vehicle unless someone’s life is in danger in the automobile, the driver or one of the inhabitants of the car is shooting out at the officers or others, etc. There was no such danger here. There was no warrant for anyone’s arrest, certainly not Zachary’s. There was no amber alert. No kidnapping and no suspected murder going to take place.

4. One of two things happened, the officer negligently thought there was a weapon in the car and there was not or he was angry at Zachary for not following his instructions or that Zachary was trying to flee so he shot him.

5. The officer did not witness anything illegal, no drug transaction took place.

6. The shots show that the officer first shot Zachary in the posterior left shoulder (back of the shoulder) and in the posterior/side chest. Not in the shoulder and the chest as Chief Covington has repeated to the media over the last week.

Read more: http://www.foxcarolina.com/story/2971476...z3iiXuZtBD

[Duchess]

I believe the independent coroner's report over the police.

[HairOfTheDog]

I believe the independent coroner's report over the police.

It's difficult to believe that the officer had a reasonable fear of being run down if he not only was beside (as opposed to in front) of the vehicle but also shot Hammond from the posterior.

If the teen came to a stop (assuming he even tried to run) and then slumped forward, I can envision the officer shooting him from the posterior. But, clearly, the officer wouldn't have been in danger of being run over in that case.

Speculatively, I could see the officer having adrenaline pumping when Hammond tried to run or when when Hammond pissed him off, and the officer presuming that Hammond was reaching for a gun if he leaned forward. If that's what happened, that would be a wrongful shooting, especially with a passenger sitting right next to Hammond. She could have been shot and/or killed too.

I sure would like to hear what Hammond's date has to say; she was right there. I don't know if she has a criminal record, but she was the one in possession of the drugs.

It'll be interesting to learn more about the evidence and the witness' accounts. Also, I wonder if there's any dash cam, body cam, or surveillance video of the incident?

[HairOfTheDog]

I just checked. It appears that there was a dash cam rolling during the incident.



Attorney Eric Bland (pictured left, besides Zachary Hammond's parents) is requesting that police release the dash cam video. Bland and the parents are also requesting tips from the public.

Story: http://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/ne.../31550247/

(HOTD edit: corrected story link)

[HairOfTheDog]

Baltimore Cop Charged for Police Brutality


^ Officer Wesley Cagle was charged with attempted first- and second-degree murder, first- and second-degree assault, and use of a handgun in a crime of violence, Baltimore City State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby announced Wednesday evening.

"In light of recent events, the commissioner and I recognize the need to be transparent and forthcoming regarding any serious allegation of police brutality or misconduct," Mosby said.

Mosby's office said four officers responded to a report of a burglary in the 3000 block of East Monument Street on Dec. 28, 2014, when they saw a masked man with something shiny in his hand. Authorities said the man did not stop on the officers' commands.


The alleged burglar, identified as ^ Michael John Johansen, allegedly reached toward his waist. "In fear for their safety, Officer Keven Leary and Officer Isiah Smith discharged their service weapons multiple times, striking the suspect several times before he fell to the floor," Mosby said.

"Based on eyewitness accounts, while Johansen was lying on the floor, Officer Leary and Officer Smith were continuing to cover him with their guns drawn when Officer (Wesley) Cagle, on his own initiative, came out of the alley in the rear of the store, walked in front of Officer Leary and Officer Smith and approached Johansen with his gun drawn.

"Officer Cagle positioned himself overtop of Johansen at which time Johansen stated, 'What did you shoot me with? A bean bag?' and Officer Cagle replied, 'No, a .40-caliber, you piece of (expletive)."

"Officer Cagle then took aim and fired his .40-caliber departmental issued firearm one time, striking Johansen in the groin area," Mosby said. "No weapon was recovered from Johansen or the crime scene." Johansen was unarmed when he was shot.

Mosby said eyewitnesses said Johansen appeared to no longer be considered a potential threat as he no longer made any aggressive or threatening movements. Johansen told reporters that he knows he's no angel (he has a long burglary sheet), but he didn't deserve to get shot again while injured and subdued.

"Today's serious criminal charges against a Baltimore police officer happened because our internal investigations worked. When we establish evidence that a police officer commits a crime, our hand-in-glove relationship with the State's Attorney's Office will ensure justice prevails," Interim Police Chief Davis said.

"The hardworking men and women of the Baltimore Police Department expect public safety leadership to ensure those who put on this patch and wear this badge represent the values of our organization and community."

Story: http://www.wbaltv.com/news/baltimore-cit...Type=Story

[Maggot]

That cop should have his nutsack cut off.

[SIXFOOTERsez]

Yep, Hang this one.
POS or not, thats not how its done

[Duchess]

I can't help but wonder how many cops who share his policing manner who complain they don't get any respect. Gee, I wonder why.

[Maggot]

Were the other 2 cops surprised when they saw that?

[SIXFOOTERsez]

The other 2 cops should have arrested him on the spot

[HairOfTheDog]

IN TODAY'S NEWS...

A judge denied two Defense motions in the Freddie Gray case.

- The judge denied a motion to drop the charges against the six police officers.

- The judge denied a motion to recuse State's Attorney Marilyn Mosbey from the case and move the case out of the Baltimore State's Attorneys Office. The defense had claimed bias.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/marylan...story.html
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San Antonio Police Officer Fatally Shoots Man with Hands in the Air

As explained in the video, Gilberto Flores was shot dead when police responded to a domestic disturbance call.

Flores allegedly cut the hand of the woman inside who was with a baby.

Police say that he resisted arrest and that they were unsuccessful when attempting to use non-lethal weapons to detain him.

The video was filmed by a nearby worker and turned over to the local tv station so there would be no possibility of anything being swept under the rug.

In the video, Flores is not moving and has his hands in the air when officers shoots him; it looks like Flores was surrendering at the time he was killed.

Police say there is a second video that shows that Flores has a knife in the hand which is blocked by the pole in this first video. The second video has not been released to the public yet.

Unless that second video somehow shows that Flores was making a threatening gesture towards officers while standing still with his hands above his head, I'm not sure that's going to help the officers with a "justified shooting" defense.

Anyway, an investigation is underway and the FBI is already involved.

[HairOfTheDog]

A clearer image of the San Antonio shooting and a few more details.

[Ski at 1SKY6]

Police say there is a second video that shows that Flores has a knife in the hand which is blocked by the pole in this first video. The second video has not been released to the public yet.

Unless that second video somehow shows that Flores was making a threatening gesture towards officers while standing still with his hands above his head, I'm not sure that's going to help the officer with a "justified shooting" defense.

Anyway, an investigation is underway and the FBI is already involved.

If that second video exonerates the police they would be wise to make it public ASAP. If not the HANDS UP DON'T SHOOT is going to be perpetuated in the publics mind. I'm guessing it raises as many questions about their conduct as it answers.

[Blindgreed1]

A clearer image of the San Antonio shooting and a few more details.

Bexar county isn't really in San Antonio. Back when I lived there it was very rural and about 30 minutes to SA via the interstate. Saw ZZ Top play at The Iron Skillet restaurant and bar in 1974. Johnny Paycheck stole one of our neighbors goats and our "Hippie neighbor" as my father called him was a guy named Auggie Meyers who is a good friend of Willie Nelson's. Willie did a benefit with Auggie to help a few farmers out that lost a lot during a flood one year. Long before Farm aid.

[HairOfTheDog]

I don't understand what you're saying, Gunnar.

The city of San Antonio is in Bexar County, Texas.

Officers from the Bexar County Sheriff's department responded to the domestic disturbance in San Antonio and shot Flores.