Michael Slager's Execution Of Walter Scott: Congress Shouldn't Wait For Fire Next Time To Act

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The killer cop Slager; true monster hiding behind badge and uniform

The videotaped murder of a 50-year-old Black man by a White police officer in South Carolina demands a strong response that cops who abuse their power will be punished to the fullest extent of the law. 

It also confirms what many people have been saying for a long time-- that there are many White police officers who kill unarmed Black males in cold blood and get away with it; had it not been for the video of a bystander this killer cop Michael Slager would not be in the news today as a murder suspect.

He almost for away by using the same line as Darren Wilson did in Ferguson after killing unarmed Michael Brown: "I feared for my life."

Congress has been virtually silent in addressing the problem of police abuse and murder of African-Americans—even, after the Justice Department report highlighting the systematic institutional racism embedded in the way the Ferguson Police Department and municipal courts used targeted ticketing schemes to raise revenue for the city.

Will it take urban rioting, mass mayhem, and blood spilling in the streets before Capitol Hill finally acts to address the problem of police brutality and murder?

The issue demands a Congressional discussion.

On Saturday, two Black men were shot dead. In South Carolina, 50-year-old Walter Scott was shot eight times as he was running away from Slager. And in Chicago, 17-year-old-Justus Howell was shot, twice in the back, and killed, as he was also running away from cops. Let’s tackle the Scott shooting first.

On Saturday, Scott was pulled over by Slager, supposedly, because his Mercedes-Benz had a broken taillight. Why Mr. Scott was forced to leave the car for something that is a very minor traffic violation is another question. Reportedly, Scott had issues in the past with paying child support.

Be that as it may, a now famous video shows Scott clearly running away from Officer Slager as he proceeds to calmly fire the eight shots at Scott—who was reportedly hit five times, with one bullet piercing his heart.

Slager is seen in the video calling in the shooting and making the mendacious claim that Scott had taken his Taser. The video never shows Scott, at any point, in possession of the Taser.

The video is so damning that Slager's own attorney, David Aylor, dumped him the minute it emerged.

Moreover, the video shows Slager retrieving, what appears to be, the Taser and dropping it by the dead, or dying, Mr. Scott. The video also shows a Black officer present as Officer Slager drops the Taser near Scott—which was, no doubt, meant to be the main “incriminating evidence” against Scott.

Another important question is: did this Black officer signoff on every aspect of Officer Slager’s false report of this deadly incident? He would have to be considered an accomplice.

Officer Slager has been rightly fired, charged with murder, and is in jail after being denied bail. But, the actions of the Black officer—who at the very least, witnessed the planting of evidence—and, apparently, said or did nothing should be scrutinized as well.

If this officer confirmed the Taser was by the body of Mr. Scott—before it was placed there by Officer Slager—or, said nothing about the planting of evidence to superiors, he must be charged with aiding-and-abetting and falsifying official documents.

The FBI's South Carolina field office is reportedly already involved in the investigation.

If not for the courageous actions of Feidin Santana who took the video of this execution, as he was on his way to work—at great personal risk to his life—this murder would surely have been covered up. Who knows what might have happened to him had the killer, Slager, turned right and seen him videotaping the incident?

Mr. Santana’s should now be protected from those who may try to attack him for exposing this murderous monster masquerading as a policeman protecting people.

Once upon a time, we’re told, in the old west, it was considered a cowardly act to shoot someone in the back—even if they had a weapon. Isn’t it extreme cowardice that so many trained cops have killed Black men because they are so “afraid” for their lives? Where is the “imminent threat” when someone is running away from you?

The other Black man shot in the back on Saturday was 17-year-old Justus Howell who was killed by police from the Zion Police Department, in Chicago. Reportedly, that young man was running from police after allegedly being involved in an altercation—where he allegedly stole a handgun. Witnesses dispute the veracity of that claim.

In a statement, Zion Police claimed officers responded to a call of gunfire in the area, during “an argument or a fight,” around 2 p.m. Police claim Mr. Howell was involved in a gun transaction with another teen, 18-year-old Tramond Peet, who was arrested and charged with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon.

Howell was apparently shot twice in the back—once bullet went through his heart, spleen and liver—as he was running away. Because police allege a gun was “recovered at the scene” some in the media are endorsing the police narrative. But should we just believe them—which is usually the case because they are police officers—without a thorough investigation?

After all, the same media outlets would have believed Slager's tall tale absent the video.

This reminds me of when The New York Times bought the NYPD's spin after Daniel Pantaleo killed Eric Garner in a lynch-hold; The Times' first article about the incident, fed by the Police, didn't even mention the lynch-hold and focused on Garner's weight.

Similarly, in the Scott killing, if it wasn’t for the video, would this story be now a national, and international, story as it is now?

Police officers are, routinely, given the "benefit of the doubt" even in cases like the Eric Garner one where it was clear that Pantaleo should’ve been indicted for killing the unarmed Garner.

In another recent case, in Inkster, Michigan, that fortunately didn't result in a death, William Melendez put 57-year-old Floyd Dent in a lynch-hold before commencing to repeatedly beat Dent in the head—all this happened, before, he magically claimed to have later retrieved cocaine from Mr. Dent’s car.

Not only was Mr. Dent never ever arrested before—but Melendez was involved previously in a case where he was accused of planting evidence.

Can we really trust these cops in Chicago, who killed Justus Howell, any more that we can trust Melendez—or Slager who is seen planting evidence to verify his cover story that Mr. Scott attacked him and took his Taser?

The video completely debunks the lies of this murderous monster Slager. Moreover, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that the only justification for shooting someone in the back is if there is a high probability that the escaping suspect could be a danger to the police or public, or, that suspect is a “fleeing felon.” Mr. Scott surely did not fit this description.

The awful truth here is: this murder represents the lack of humanity far too many have for the lives of African-Americans—who are considered as “subhuman” and “menaces” to White American “society” by enough people for these kind of killings to continue, across several states, meaning they can't be "isolated" incidents.

But the true “menaces” are those who gun down or kill by lynch-hold unarmed African-American males on the streets.

South Carolina has the death penalty and Slager deserves it.

A police officer is supposed to uphold the law—not break it by shooting people in the back. An ordinary citizen who killed someone in cold blood in similar manner would deserve the same fate.

The callously calm manner in which Slager murdered Mr. Scott showed the cold-blooded nature of this beast who was given the opportunity to wear a badge and carry a gun. By abusing that power in this manner,  he must receive the maximum punishment.

Congress continues to sleep on these killings at its own risk.

What is it going to take for Capitol Hill to act? Wait until American cities start burning and blood starts flowing in the streets? That's a possible consequence of failure to uproot hooligans hiding behind police uniforms. Congress could start by pre-emptively call for Ferguson-like investigations of police departments with skewed ethnic composition. According to a media report even though African-Americans make up 47% of the population of South Charleston, where Scott was killed, and Whites make up 37%, the police department was 80% White.

President John F. Kennedy once said “Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.”

American police departments are screaming for restructuring.

Maybe Congress prefers flames of discontent to start burning in urban Black America before it acts.

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