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Walter Scott killing underlines racial tensions in police department
NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. — Racial tensions exposed by the shooting death of a black man by a white police officer here extends beyond the community and into the police department itself, according to one of the few black officers on the police force.
A current North Charleston police officer told msnbc that a number of the department’s white officers are privately supporting former officer Michael Slager. Videotaped evidence shows Slager fatally shot Walter Scott in the back on April 4 and apparently lied about the circumstances that led to the fatal encounter
“I heard some white officers trying to justify what really took place, asking for more evidence after the video,” said the officer, who is African-American. “For me, I don’t need any more evidence. What’s evidence is what we saw,” he said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the media and fears reprisal.
*snip*
Some white officers, he said, feel that Slager should not be charged based on the publicly available evidence. “They still got that ‘we against them’ attitude,” in which police feel they are alone against an antagonistic public. “Making statements like that doesn’t help us in the healing process. Once you’re wrong, you’re wrong,” the officer said.
The same officer said a majority of the force’s black officers are not supporting Slager. No other police officer was interviewed for this story.
*snip*
http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/walter-scott-killing-underlines-racial-tensions-police-department
A current North Charleston police officer told msnbc that a number of the department’s white officers are privately supporting former officer Michael Slager. Videotaped evidence shows Slager fatally shot Walter Scott in the back on April 4 and apparently lied about the circumstances that led to the fatal encounter
“I heard some white officers trying to justify what really took place, asking for more evidence after the video,” said the officer, who is African-American. “For me, I don’t need any more evidence. What’s evidence is what we saw,” he said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the media and fears reprisal.
*snip*
Some white officers, he said, feel that Slager should not be charged based on the publicly available evidence. “They still got that ‘we against them’ attitude,” in which police feel they are alone against an antagonistic public. “Making statements like that doesn’t help us in the healing process. Once you’re wrong, you’re wrong,” the officer said.
The same officer said a majority of the force’s black officers are not supporting Slager. No other police officer was interviewed for this story.
*snip*
http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/walter-scott-killing-underlines-racial-tensions-police-department