Victim in South Carolina Police Shooting Owed Child Support

Details

Category: Crime

Published on Sunday, 12 April 2015 18:14

Written by Janet Walker

A South Carolina police officer shot and killed an unarmed black man after a routine traffic stop in which the victim ran as he could not produce insurance or registration papers for the vehicle pulled over for a faulty tail light.

Walter Scott, a former Coast Guard veteran, handed Officer Michael Slager, a five year veteran Charleston Police Force, his driver’s license and returned to his car. Scott, apparently nervous and concerned, opened the car door to exit and was told, over the microphone to remain in the vehicle.

Moments later, the dash-camera video records Scott, abandoning the vehicle and running. Officer Slager gave chase, shouted “Taser, Taser, Taser,” and shots were heard.

The second video recorded by a bystander show the officer firing. The victim was found to be shot in the back five times and grazed in the ear. Eight shots in total were fired.

Slager was arrested for murder.  Scott, at the time of the shooting, was $18,000 behind on his child support payments and had not according to court paper’s “made a payment since July 2012.”

Did officer Slager over react? Use excessive force? Yes. As no gun or weapon was present and his life was not in imminent danger the shooting was unprovoked and excessive. The predicate act behind the shooting could have been as simple as the fear of incarceration for non-payment should the officer find the outstanding warrant which the media have downplayed and created a scenario of all too often an unarmed black man is killed by a white officer.

The fact is all too often families are abandon and women are left to support and raise children alone.

Walter Scott may have been an honorably discharged military veteran, nice guy, well thought of, an upstanding citizen, he was also a deadbeat dad who owed almost $20,000.00 in child support to a family he long since abandoned.

The United States of America has a often flawed judicial system that is carried out in the beginning stages by men and women who daily risk their lives to make sure the anarchy doesn’t break out across America and Americans can be safe. Granted the system is deeply flawed, fast on the trigger police are as dangerous to the system as corruption rotting its core. 

Mr. Scott fled a parked car, his actions do not warrant a death sentence, even if pending action warranted judicial interaction. Sentencing is rendered by judge or jury.