Where the officer has probable cause to believe that the suspect poses a threat of serious physical harm, either to the officer or to others, it is not constitutionally unreasonable to prevent escape by using deadly force. Thus, if the suspect threatens the officer with a weapon or there is probable cause to believe that he has committed a crime involving the infliction or threatened infliction of serious physical harm, deadly force may be used if necessary to prevent escape, and if, where feasible, some warning has been given.”
You're really going out of your way to defend this police officer's actions. Not even the "enhanced/spliced" dispatch video you've presented below support your above claim that Office Slager had justification for shooting Mr. Scott.
For those actually interested in what occurred, a blogger and member of the Conservativetreehouse posted the following video.
(Credit to him and the Treehouse.)
It combines all the videos with the dispatch audio and includes a running times tamp to ascertain the length of time between events.
The attempted tasering of the suspect happened more than a minute before the witness started recording his video which showed the shooting.
The suspect getting out of the car happens @ 03:04
As originator stated.
Combined Dispatch and Videos (Timecode starts after Scott runs and when Slager closes car door, last two videos probably out of sync but first three vids good to go)
I've watched the original video, the dash-cam video and now the above video and from the above video, here are the relevant points:
* Officer Slager pulls Mr. Scott over not for a broken tail light but because his center tail light wasn't working. Mr. Scott's left brake light was working, as was his left turn signal. Both casings around his vehicle's right and left tail lights are fully intact. But why does Office Slager tap Mr. Scott's left tail light if he pulled him over for a non-functioning tail light? (See dash-cam video) I know the answer to it, but do you?
* 3:04 mark - Mr. Scott flees his car.
* 3:21 mark - Officer Slager can be heard over his dash-cam yelling "Taser, Taser, Taser".
* 3:43 mark - Officer Slager can be heard over his dash-cam yelling "Get on the ground, Get on the Ground".
* 4:08 mark - Officer Slager can be heard over his dash-cam more calmly saying to Mr. Scott "On the ground".
Note: This would indicate that Officer Slager had tased Mr. Scott by this time and the foot chase had stopped. But notice the "deescalation" at this point. Do you hear signs of a struggle? Does it sound as if Officer Slager was still in a high state of anxiety?
* 4:46 mark - If you watch closely (because it happens very fast once Mr. Scott and Officer Slager appear in the witness' video footage), you will see Mr. Scott slap something (presumably the taser gun) out of Officer Slager's hand.
*4:48-5:04 mark - Officer Slager fires off 8 rounds. He then radios dispatch reporting "Shots fired, subject is down" and then falsely claiming [Mr. Scott] "He grabbed my taser".
Note: The only thing you don't hear quite clearly is Officer Slager's warning to Mr. Scott around the 4:43-45 mark. I had to turn my volumn all the way up to hear it. Officer Slager warns Mr. Scott, "If you flee I will shoot you." The question everyone should ask is why did he feel compelled to give such a warning?
(Continued...)