Sean Groubert, South Carolina State Trooper, Fired , Arrested After Shooting Unarmed Man

[Stuart G]

Source: Huff Post

A South Carolina state trooper was fired last week and arrested on Wednesday after a dashcam video showed him shooting an unarmed man during a routine traffic stop.

Former officer Sean Groubert, 31, is seen in the newly released video pulling over Levar Edward Jones. The clip, which was recorded on Groubert's dashcam on Sept. 4, shows Jones getting out of his vehicle at a gas station in Columbia.

Groubert asks Jones for his driver's license. As Jones reaches into his vehicle to retrieve it, Groubert shouts, "Get out of the car!"

When Jones complies and starts to back away from the vehicle, Groubert opens fire. Three shots can be heard; Jones was hit at least once, in the hip."I was just getting my license," Jones says. He also apologizes repeatedly, and asks, "Sir, why was I shot? All I did was reach for my license. I'm coming from work



Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/25/sean-groubert-fired-arrested_n_5879694.html

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Shot while following orders from a cop.
Cop Fired and arrested. ...Yes.....................so there is one honest police administrator in the entire U.S.A...and there was a TV record of exactly what happened ...




South Carolina Department of Public Safety Director Leroy Smith called the case disturbing. "After my review of the facts surrounding this matter, I have determined that Mr. Groubert’s actions rose to such an extent that his employment with us must be terminated," Smith said in a statement last week. "While Mr. Groubert was within the law to stop Mr. Jones for a safety belt violation, the force administered in this case was unwarranted, inconsistent with how our troopers are trained, and clearly in violation of Department policies."

[Ishoutandscream2]

1. Absolutely frightening.

[Stuart G]

2. I agree completely.

What is more, imagine how many incidents in this country are exactly like this, and the cop gets away scot free, no charges, no investigation, no nothing. A report is filed,and the report says, .. "the guy was reaching for a gun"....nothing happens.. How many? ....Thousands in my opinion....

[yeoman6987]

3. And justice comes from one of the reddest states in the country

Amazing!

[mountain grammy]

4. American terrorists, the jury will acquit him.

About ready to give up on America.

[BumRushDaShow]

5. Open season.

Ressurection of the Fugitive Slave Act.

[lunasun]

6. Without that dash cam it would be a different tale no doubt

Safety belt violation?????
Right up there with jay waking murders by cops!!!

[FLPanhandle]

7. We need to get communities to insist on an unarmed police force.

Sure they can have a few specially trained officers or SWAT team with gun when it's required, but the idea that everyone with a badge needs a gun is whats to blame here.

[Bragi]

21. America's love affair with gund precludes that /nt

[Hosnon]

8. Body cameras on every cop. But for this video, the victim would have been "a mortal danger".

The cop would have claimed he justifiably feared for his life and without this video, everyone would have believed him.

A body camera should be required for all law enforcement: Gun and badge? Here's your body camera. You are not an officer of the law if it is not on (with certain limited exceptions)."

[Spitfire of ATJ]

15. In these days of mass storage the ONLY reason to turn it off should be bathroom breaks.

[calimary]

18. That's the ONLY thing that got this guy. The video.

Otherwise, he would have given the standard "stand your ground" defense, and because he was a cop, he would have been given the benefit of the doubt. BANK on it. It would have been his word against his victim's, and HIS word would have overruled that of his victim.

[Paladin]

9. Just saw the video of this incident. Open-and-shut case of blatant police abuse.

I hope Mr. Jones gets a settlement in the high seven-figures for this outrage. And Groubert doesn't deserve another free day for the rest of his life. Jones had his empty hands held high above his head when that cop shot him---no potential threat whatsoever. Makes you want to puke.

[LeftinOH]

10. If the shooting victim had actually died there would be

a different "official" story . You know it.

[snort]

11. "the force administered in this case"

Goddamit, don't you see? It's all about administering the proper amount of force on the people who hire and pay us to serve and protect them. Its not easy. Pop quiz, hotshot: Do I shoot grandma in the head or take out her poodle? Hmmm?

[wildbilln864]

12. k & r!

attempted murder!

[heaven05]

13. I am truly

not very happy with this current KKKulture of racist pigs with guns, shooting and murdering. Modern day lynching is all this shit is. Watching that video has my blood boiling. Now let's see this fucker go to prison I hope. He will be known.

on edit: I am finally beginning to see what my parents and their parent had to face. Yeah we faced racism in my generation 50's-to 70's, then as the reactionaries were planning their next move, things quieted down somewhat. Then BAM!--Ronnie raygun was present and accounted for. It's been all downhill since then. A real dangerous slide going on now.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

14. Guilty of driving a nice truck while black....

Because black people are ALL on welfare so they don't have nice stuff.

[kirby]

16. For a "safety belt violation"?

Without the camera, the cop would have sprinkled some crack on him and case closed.

[Quayblue]

26. cynical lol @ crack sprinkling

+1 for the Dave Chapelle reference

[The Stranger]

17. Depraved indifference.

[CaptainTruth]

19. Question about that "safety belt violation" ...

In the video it looks like Jones drives from a parking lot (perhaps behind an apartment building?) around the corner into the gas station parking lot. At no time does he drive on a public street. He appears to drive from one private (?) parking lot into another adjacent private (?) parking lot.

If that is correct, does SC's seatbelt law apply to vehicles driven on private property? If it only applies to vehicles driven on public streets, then the officer's alleged reason for approaching Jones has no basis.

[CaptainTruth]

20. Seat belt only required on "public streets and highways"

SC seat belt law:

http://www.buckleupsc.com/seat_belt_law.asp

SECTION 56-5-6520. Mandatory use of seat belt.

The driver and every occupant of a motor vehicle, when it is being operated on the public streets and highways of this State, must wear a fastened safety belt which complies with all provisions of federal law for its use. The driver is charged with the responsibility of requiring each occupant seventeen years of age or younger to wear a safety belt or be secured in a child restraint system as provided in Article 47 of this chapter. However, a driver is not responsible for an occupant seventeen years of age or younger who has a driver's license, special restricted license, or beginner's permit and who is not wearing a seat belt; such occupant is in violation of this article and must be fined in accordance with Section 56-5-6540.

--snip--

So, unless Jones was driving on a public street or highway before the start of the video, the stop was unlawful.

[OnlinePoker]

22. The cop might have seen the victim driving on a public street without a belt

Since we can only see where the car is pointed, we can't see what the cop was looking at. It looks to me like Jones had just arrived at the gas station and the cop stopped, reversed, and turned back behind him so had probably seen him pull off the street without a seat belt on. Why he needed to automatically pull his gun for a minor traffic violation when Jones was already getting out of his vehicle is my question. There was no threat that could have justified doing that.

[Sparhawk60]

23. Unpossable!!!

How can a cop lose his job, and even face possable jail time just for shooting an unarmed man. What is this country coming to? Next you will try and tell me cops are not above the law.


Sparhawk

[Dont call me Shirley]

24. 1. Sean Groubert, hopefully this will snowball into 2. Darren Willson, 3..........

[Blue_Tires]

25. I'm surprised to see S.C. doing the right thing...

They definitely aren't known for such...

[Taitertots]

27. Finally, someone is giving us a reason not to believe ACAB

Unlike other jurisdictions that defend their officers actions no matter how egregious their behavior.