A terrible misunderstanding here resulted in a South Carolina officer shooting an unarmed black man. It appears the officer asked for his license and the guy reached back into his vehicle from a standing position. At that point the cop must’ve thought the man was reaching for his weapon and when the man pulled his body out of his car the officer opened fire on him.
I’ve never been through police training, but I suspect they are trained to expect the worst. But aren’t they trained to be discerning as well?
***UPDATE: The cop is being charged with a felony:
WASHINGTON TIMES – A former South Carolina Highway Patrol trooper was arrested and charged this week with “assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature” after he shot an unarmed motorist during a bizarre and nearly fatal traffic stop.
Sean Groubert, 31, could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted on charges he wrongfully shot the 35-year-old motorist, Levar Jones, during a stop prompted by a seatbelt violation, the State reported.
The shooting took place Sept. 4, resulting in Groubert’s almost-immediate termination from the state Highway Patrol.