South Carolina police officer Michael Slager is being charged with murder for the shooting death of Walter Scott.
Though not much is known about the events leading up to the shooting, a video surfaced recently showing Slager shooting Scott multiple times in the back as Scott ran away from the officer. The video directly contradicts portions of the officer’s written report of the incident, notably where a slow-motion portion reveals Officer Slager walked over to Scott and dropped his stun-gun near him whereas the report claims he fired in self-defense after the suspect grabbed his Taser.
As video of the incident has been played on repeat across many cable networks, the Justice Department has stepped in to aid the investigation and determine if there was any racial bias in the shooting. Concurrently, protests and condemnations have risen in North Charleston.
Has the news media properly reported the facts of the case without bias? Will the video of Walter Scott’s shooting prompt a faster shift towards cameras on police officers? What role does the public have when faced with disparate evidence?
Guests:
Al Tompkins, senior faculty at the Poynter Institute
Eugene O’Donnell, professor of law and police science at John Jay College of Criminal Justice; former NYPD officer; former prosecutor in Kings County (Brooklyn)