BluesStringer
Les Brers
Johannes Mehserle was convicted of manslaughter, sentenced to only two years, and served less than one.
What is your definition of "...a very looooong time?"
Blues
South Carolina COP charged with murder
- Thread starter ArmyCW4
- Start date
Johannes Mehserle was convicted of manslaughter, sentenced to only two years, and served less than one.
What is your definition of "...a very looooong time?"
Blues
S&W645
NRA Life Member
Well if he got a cell with Bubba, it would seem like a long time. :wink:
Johannes Mehserle was convicted of manslaughter, sentenced to only two years, and served less than one.
What is your definition of "...a very looooong time?"
Blues
BluesStringer
Les Brers
If he gets a cell at all, he will be bucking a long-standing trend for killer cops.
Slager's first lawyer dumped him as soon as the video came out. Wow, how bad do you have to be for a criminal defense lawyer to dump you! Anyway, I think I heard on the bail denial video that he has a public defender. So imagine if the defense can get the video tossed out and not admissible...
What defense is he going to get, his department already fired him, his partner -- the one cop who showed first at the scene must have seen him dropping the alleged taser or yet to be identified object so likely will testify what he saw.
Shooting someone in the back eight times while the suspect is running away -- what was he thinking?
The "object" was dropped after the cop had already noted someone filming him, yet he goes back, pick the object and drop it off thereafter and in front of his own cop partner. This is straight from movies scene yet saddly a reality of today's America.
To protect and to Serve, wonder to whom?
Shooting someone in the back eight times while the suspect is running away -- what was he thinking?
The "object" was dropped after the cop had already noted someone filming him, yet he goes back, pick the object and drop it off thereafter and in front of his own cop partner. This is straight from movies scene yet saddly a reality of today's America.
To protect and to Serve, wonder to whom?
S&W645
NRA Life Member
The dashcam video has been released. Please listen to the victim and think about what he is saying and if your feelings might change somewhat. It will be interesting to hear about the car he was "buying" but didn't have anything to back that up. The victim may have taken off because of the car and not the warrant for non-payment of child support.
wallyb
New member
https://youtu.be/WQa9zmxanZY
Please listen carefully to what the murderer says right after he asks for the drivers license of the now deceased Walter Scott. I hear Michael Slager say- "The reason for the stop is your third brake lights out." I did a bit of research and found that S. Carolina only requires motor vehicles to have one stop light on a motor vehicle, that is the law. The SC Supreme Court ruled that it does not matter how many stop lights a vehicle is equipped with, if only one is working you are complying with SC law. In this case the cop/murderer said in the dash cam video that he stopped the driver/deceased because the "third" brake light on the vehicle was not working. Since the vehicle seemingly had not only one but actually two stop lights working properly, I would suggest this "traffic stop" is a perfect example of racial profiling. Very sad, and unfortunately this terrible injustice could happen to any one of us or to a loved one who is targeted by a rogue cop.
bofh
Banned
Still doesn't justify shooting Walter Scott while running away, unarmed, not being an immediate threat to anyone. If Officer Michael Slager would have called and waited for backup, Scott would be in custody and Slager not in jail.
Exactly...we give our LEO's authority to be prosecutor, jury, and judge right there on the street - no need to make arrest when justice can be metered out quickly and efficiently to a suspected car thief, because, after all, isn't the sentence for stealing a car the death penalty? Why wait to go through all that silly legal process when the police officer on the spot can just take care of everything for us.
ladiesman217
New member
Amazing how a guy behind on child support drives a Mercedes but anyway, Not sure what this cop was thinking when he decided to unload on this guy. And not sure why guy was let out of the car to begin with. I feel for his family because South Carolina is going to hang him out to dry.
And the guy taking the video is scared for his life now? Jason Bourne has better things to do with his time than go after some black guy who took a video.
And the guy taking the video is scared for his life now? Jason Bourne has better things to do with his time than go after some black guy who took a video.
It changes nothing, the shooting wasn't warranted even if the call was stolen. Lesson to be learned here -- do not give cops a reason for a "traffic stop,"" else, and likely, things may just go wrong. Very wrong on this case.
Sad part is the dead of the victim and also I noted no signs of remorse after the shooting, anyone else?
I assume the guy who took the video lives in that community. If the other cops on the scene were as complacent about what was going on as appears in the video, then he has good reason to fear for his life. It's not like a cop has never shot anyone in that community without justification.
I think the failure of fellow officers to act appropriately in these videos is what is most disturbing. It shows a cultural and institutional virus running through law enforcement departments that all of us should be concerned about.
I think the failure of fellow officers to act appropriately in these videos is what is most disturbing. It shows a cultural and institutional virus running through law enforcement departments that all of us should be concerned about.
Stengun
New member
Howdy,
Just out of idle curiosity.............
While watching the vid in the link you can head Whitey Ford's "What it's like" playing in the background.
Did someone add the sound track or was the cop listening to Whitey Ford?
Either way I find it kinda strange since he practices Islam.
Paul
P.S. Why in the heck would a 50yo man try to outrun a cop in a foot chase? Just curious on this one too.
Just out of idle curiosity.............
While watching the vid in the link you can head Whitey Ford's "What it's like" playing in the background.
Did someone add the sound track or was the cop listening to Whitey Ford?
Either way I find it kinda strange since he practices Islam.
Paul
P.S. Why in the heck would a 50yo man try to outrun a cop in a foot chase? Just curious on this one too.
What will be interesting to hear is the justification for the traffic stop to begin with. South Carolina law:
Code of Laws - Title 56 - Chapter 5 - Uniform Act Regulating Traffic On Highways
The dash cam video clearly shows A properly operating stop lamp which certainly appears to meet the requirements of the law. Therefore, the traffic stop was illegal to begin with violating the victim's 4th Amendment Rights requiring reasonable suspicion of an infraction being committed in order for a non-consensual detainment. Hopefully the prosecuting attorney jumps all over that right from the beginning. My feelings have changed a bit - the charge of illegal arrest should be added to murder. Although, I see a manslaughter conviction coming. Murder is:
Code of Laws - Title 16 - Chapter 3 - Offenses Against The Person
I think it is going to be pretty hard to prove with malice.
Manslaughter:
I don't get it either. He had already provided ID in the form of DL and even if he could have outrun him, was matter of time to get to him based on info provided.
bofh
Banned
Walter Scott owed more than $18,000 in child-support payments and already had a warrant for his arrest out. The bench warrant for his arrest had been active since a January 16, 2013, court hearing. At that time, Scott had owed $7,836 — but the amount had increased to more than $18,000 at the time of his death. (Source: Walter Scott Had Bench Warrant for His Arrest, Court Documents Show - NBC News).
Walter Scott was simply trying to evade an imminent arrest by running away while Officer Michael Slager was still in his car.
S&W645
NRA Life Member
You missed something in your quoted section.
The fact that the car has 2 to start with as a minimum requires all to be maintained. Federal law for a long time has required new cars to have two. And even more recently, three or more.
And I missed your updated message. :redface:
S&W645
NRA Life Member
My point was that he may not have jackrabbited because of the child support but because of the fact that he may not have owned the car. I also wonder about his driver's license. Many states will revoke your license for failure to pay child support. The victim had every reason to suspect he was going to be arrested. But it still doesn't give the cop the right to shoot an unarmed man running away from him.
