Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

sl8

(16,252 posts)
Tue Jun 25, 2024, 04:26 AM Jun 2024

Shot in 1.6 seconds: Video raises questions about how trooper avoided charges in Black man's death

Last edited Tue Jun 25, 2024, 07:47 AM - Edit history (1)



https://apnews.com/article/georgia-trooper-shooting-black-man-julian-lewis-e5ac7de893189c11c88137fe9b81829e

(video, photos, links, at source)

Shot in 1.6 seconds: Video raises questions about how trooper avoided charges in Black man’s death

Never-before-released dash camera video and details obtained by The Associated Press are raising questions about the fatal shooting of a Black motorist by a Georgia state trooper nearly four years ago.

BY RUSS BYNUM AND JIM MUSTIAN
Updated 12:09 AM EDT, June 25, 2024

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — Julian Lewis didn’t pull over for the Georgia State Patrol cruiser flashing its blue lights behind him on a rural highway. He still didn’t stop after pointing a hand out the window and turning onto a darkened dirt road as the trooper sounded his siren.

Five minutes into a pursuit that began over a broken taillight, the 60-year-old Black man was dead — shot in the forehead by the white trooper who fired a single bullet mere seconds after forcing Lewis to crash into a ditch. Trooper Jake Thompson insisted he pulled the trigger as Lewis revved the engine of his Nissan Sentra and jerked his steering wheel as if trying to mow him down.

[...]

But new investigative details obtained by The Associated Press and the never-before-released dashcam video of the August 2020 shooting have raised fresh questions about how the trooper avoided prosecution with nothing more than a signed promise never to work in law enforcement again. Use-of-force experts who reviewed the footage for AP said the shooting appeared to be unjustified.

[...]

Footage of the pursuit has never been made public. It was first obtained by the authors of a new book about race and economic inequality titled “Fifteen Cents on the Dollar: How Americans Made the Black-White Wealth Gap.” Louise Story and Ebony Reed shared the video with AP, which verified its authenticity and obtained additional documents under Georgia’s open-records law.

[...]


Latest Discussions»Region Forums»Georgia»Shot in 1.6 seconds: Vide...