This shooting is Exhibit fricking "A" for what so many have been saying for so long. And there it is in plain view for everyone to see. The video is rather surreal as it shows a man more or less running, but a slow run...more like jogging, away and the cop appearing to pretty calmly take his pistol out and fairly methodically gun him down in the back, and then calmly plant a Taser near his body.
And it is complete contrast to what was initially reported by the police when they didn't realize there was a video.
This kind of thing is powerful. This video may eventually have an effect all out of proportion to what we think. It wasn't even a case where the cop was over excited or an obvious idiot. He just shot the dude in the back.
So, absent this video, does anyone really think that this cop wouldn't have one hundred percent gotten away with this?
There's a chance he'd have gotten away with it. The autopsy showing all the hits in the back, and at range, would have been an issue, though.
Last year, I don't think there was any question he would have gotten away with it. There probably wouldn't have been too much inquiry and if any, they would have explained the back shots by saying he turned or some crap like that.
Post Ferguson? Yeah, it would have been a bit harder to get away with it. Although, I doubt he would be facing murder charges.
