Another Young Police Officer's Life is Destroyed
Here we go again. A young white police officer, Ray Tensing, is charged with murder, for just attempting to do his job. What did he do wrong? Well, discharging his weapon when the citizen he stopped was attempting to flee; he panicked when he thought he was being dragged with the car.
The citizen, Samuel DuBose, a black male, had been arrested and charged seventy-five times in the last twenty years. He is a lawbreaker, a drug user, a drug dealer, an irresponsible man who fathered 13 or more children with various women, none of which he married. But, hey, none of this matters as far as the traffic stop goes...well, yes, it actually does because the cop who stopped him, while not knowing his record, knows suspicious behavior when he sees it. It is not a matter of race but of recognizing behaviors.
First, he sees a vehicle without a front license plate. He stops the vehicle because it might be a) stolen or b) the driver is squirrelly or c) both. He stops the vehicle and asks Dubose about the front license plate. Dubose claims it is in his glove compartment but fails to produce it. Asked for his driver's license, he fails to produce it. When asked if it is his car, DuBose lies and says it is his which the officer knows is not true because he already ran it and it is owned by a female. Asked about a bottle Tensing sees on the floor, he hands the officer a bottle of liquor with questionable content. Okay. So, Officer Tensing asks about the license again, asks Dubose if he has a valid license. Dubose says, yes, but doesn't give him one and suggests the officer go run him in the system. Now, the officer is no dummy. He smells a rat. The rat was wanting the officer to go back to his car because he was planning to flee. He knew the officer was going to find that he was not allowed to drive (and he may have had warrants out on him as well) and he was going to be arrested again. The officer figured out this was what was in the cards so he wanted to get the man out of the car and away from the key and ignition. If he allowed the man to drive off, he knew he would then have to chase him which is always a dangerous situation for civilians. An innocent person could get run over by the speeding vehicles. All the talk about this man doing nothing violent is meaningless. The officer had no idea if the man was violent or not; he just knew that the man was lying to him and there may well be a serious reason for it. If he had gone back to his vehicle and the man sped off (perhaps with a stolen vehicle and under the influence of alchohol or drugs) and ran over two children crossing the street, the officer would be getting all the blame, now wouldn't he?
So, the officer tried to get the man out of the car. He resisted and attempted to drive off with the officer entangled in the car. The officer, having pulled his gun out because he could not be sure the man was not armed and dangerous, pulled the trigger, either accidentally, or in a panic, or to stop the vehicle. Things happen quickly in these situations and there is little time to think, just react. Clearly, the officer did not intend to kill Dubose and one can see he is pretty much shocked over the incident. He thought he was going to be run over and he pulled the trigger. The claim by the prosecutor that the car was just slowly rolling away is something one says AFTER the fact; you trying being the cop when you feel the car go into drive and see how long you want to take to think about how fast the vehicle is moving and if you are going to be seriously injured or not. The fact is, Dubose stepped on the accelerator while the police officer was partially inside the car and THAT is a threat to the life of the officer. The officer was being assaulted and he reacted in self-defense.
The video shows what happened but it is just amazing how many people are claiming Tensing purposely killed Dubose. This young officer has a stellar record and was polite when he approached the car. No officer wants to shoot anyone on duty; not only do officers (excluding a rare psycho) not want to take anyone's life but the whole incident can jeopardize one's own life and family. The claim that Tensing committed a premeditated homicide is garbage and, for that matter, so are the charges against him and the zeal to convict him by a very politically motivated prosecutor. I feel damned sorry for Tensing because he may pay with his life for an accidental shooting provoked by the deceased.
Samuel DuBose wasn't killed because he was black man. Ray Tensing didn't pull the trigger because he was an privileged white officer. DuBose made a bad move and Tensing reacted.
I am at the point where I don't even think I can recommend anyone join the police force. It is one thing to put your life on the line against criminals FOR the community, but to put your life on the line for ungrateful citizens is another.
When we end up with the criminals running totally amok in our communities, we only have ourselves to blame for situation.
FYI: Due to the high numbers of ad hominem attacks calling me a racist and other slurs, I would like to clarify something whether it will cause people to behave more politely or rationally or not.
Yes, I am white but I am the mother of two bi-racial children and one black son (all adults now). I live in a majority black town and a majority black county.
I am pro good law enforcement., but I am anti bad law enforcement. I have spoken up many times publicly when I have seen police corruption even though I have and do work with and train law enforcement.
I am anti law breaking. Lawbreakers should be treated fairly within the bounds of the law but they are responsible for any illegal actions that bring harm to the community and to law enforcement. Law breakers are a scourge on the community and without proper policing they will do more damage. If we keep up this war on cops claiming racism in cases where none exists or painting law enforcement with a wide brush of hatred, fewer good people will join the police force and fewer police will be willing to interact with lawbreakers because it will be too risky for their careers and lives.
Criminal Profiler Pat Brown
155 comments:
The last three comments have been removed. Two for being rude and offensive and the last for suggesting that because I am a white woman, I can't understand what is going on. The traffic stop and what happened has NOTHING to do with race. Making it about racism as was also done with the Sandra Bland and Freddie Gray incidents is part of the insanity that is going on today. All of those incidents were about citizens acting badly when they were stopped by a police officer for breaking the law; no evidence of racism existed in any of these events. Both blacks and whites need to focus on what improves race relations and what improves life for all humans and stop these wrongheaded and illogical accusations against law enforcement or racism will increase and people will stop joining the police force and the we will be left with unprotected neighborhoods.
This is everything I've been saying for the past 48 hours. I have one son who will be moving to Clifton just off campus for the first time this weekend and one son who aspires to be a police officer. I fear for them both. I pray that officer tensing get his day in court, a fair trial and everything you mentioned above gets to be heard. Thank you and bravo!
My argument is that tensing WAS dragged. Everyone says he wasn't. Maybe no dragged to the degree where he was skidding on the ground but that the car was moving quickly with him attached. Pay attention to the surroundings. He starts on the right side of that driveway and ends up past it on the left by about 10 feet. My roommate argued that he held onto the car and dubose foot hit the gas after he was shot and that's why he went 20 feet but I see him shoot and IMMEDIATELY fall off. How fast did he need to be goin to travel that distance? This car was not "barely rolling" as deters put it
It wasnt liquor if you listened he replied "air freshner has no liquor in it"... Its actually called SMELL GOOD n sold in the inner city smh
All I can say is watch the unedited version of this ... The "blur" that shown is actually when officer tries to open his door Sam leans back officer reaches in and SHOOTS THIS MAN POINT BLANK in the head... Car moved AFTER he was shot n dies instantly
As Deters said it was SENSELESS N THIS WAS MURDER!!
Ma'am watch the unedited version!!! Then come back n blog about it... You seem like a reasonable person... I would pray after watching it you wouldnt still feel this way!! Smh... Senseless!!!
Another to put into consideration is that Officer Tensing is 6'3. For his arms to be parallel with the window means he had to of been pretty low on the side of the car when he fired the shot. Also a 1998 Honda Accord does not sit very high. So either he is bending his knees or his legs are dragging on the ground.
Video shows officer REACHING INTO CAR... Grabbing Sam who was still in the SEATBELT he asked to "take off"... Raise gun n SHOOTING HIM IN HIS HEAD!!! Car speeds off AFTER Sam is slumped over DYING IMMEDIATELY!!!
When the officer tries to open the door Sam pulls it shut. Car started to move you hear officer yell stop stop! So Sam was trying to flee, he didn't deserve to be shot, but after he was shot the fact that the car moved tells us that the vehicle was in drive, why's your vehicle in drive if your not trying to go no where? Again not saying he deserved to be shot, but don't start no shit, if you feel an officer has wronged you then go hash it out in court after obeying the "ridiculous" request of getting out the car when you know you broke the law.
Watch it slower. I can hear the gas getting hit before he fired the shot.
I have the UNEDITED video.... Aint no watching it slower... U see him shoot him in the head... N the car take off!! U hear prior to that the car being started!!! If u have email Ill send u the video!!!
The cop shouldn't have shot him, simple as that. But he was trying to escape and if he wouldn't have tried to he wouldn't have been killed. I'm not saying that justifies what the cop did I'm just saying if he would have not started the car up he would still be alive.
to the person who left this comment... when you hear him say STOP.... he had already SHOT him in the HEAD and the car was taking off!!! him saying STOP was already too late because Sam was Already DEAD!!!
also he NEVER asked him to get out the car.. he said "take off your seatbelt.. which is what Sam was doing when officer reaches to open his door I think your reflex is try closing door back.. when has an officer EVER attempted to open a suspects door when they want them to get out... typically officer STEPS BACK!! Sam actually leans back.. officer REACHES in grabs him.. Sam STILL in his seatbelt... THEN raises his GUN and shoots his gun POINT BLANK!! that "blur" got yall speculating... that unedited version SHOWS IT ALL!!! the CAR DID NOT MOVE UNTIL SAM WAS DEAD!!!
Anonymous Anonymous said...
When the officer tries to open the door Sam pulls it shut. Car started to move you hear officer yell stop stop! So Sam was trying to flee, he didn't deserve to be shot, but after he was shot the fact that the car moved tells us that the vehicle was in drive, why's your vehicle in drive if your not trying to go no where? Again not saying he deserved to be shot, but don't start no shit, if you feel an officer has wronged you then go hash it out in court after obeying the "ridiculous" request of getting out the car when you know you broke the law.
July 30, 2015 at 10:51 AM
So you don't twist this around and say this about race or color of his skin. Dubose regardless if he is white, African American, hispanic, Chinese. Was a scum bag that was not a contributing member of society. He was a drain on the economy. His arrest record shows. All because he didn't want to go to jail that day. The officer handled it extremely poor but because he was trying to run. He ruined his own life, and the officer's. He's not a murderer, he didn't purposely want to kill Dubose. It's not hatred. It's stupidity. Police Officers don't want to go around and shoot people.
Perfectly said.
I think the problem lies in that when you watch the video it is shocking and provokes an emotional response. It seems horrifying and it's easy to lose sight of the facts. The shock of the actual shooting takes away from the fact that Office Tensing conducted the stop as he conducted all his others. A retired CPD trainer reviewed those and said were by the book (that includes opening the car door). The only difference here is Sam Dubose grabbed the car door and closed it. Officer Tensing didn't have a chance to ask him to step out of his car. (Which you are required to do if asked by a police officer). From there, a scuffle ensued. The car was in drive and I don't personally think you can tell if the car was rolling prior to the gunshot or not as it's bouncing up and down. I'm sorry, but if I'm connected to a car and someone starts driving, I'd shoot them too. If it comes down to my life or theirs, it's theirs every time. If he hadn't shot Sam Dubose, he could be dead. Being dragged by a car is no joke and we've lost a police officer that way in the past. I do think the officer made a mistake putting his hand in the car, just for his own safety, but he is in no way a murderer. I'd give him negligent homicide at the most for his poor decision in placing his hand inside the car, but I don't know if I'd even do that. I'm sure I will be called racist and stupid and a number of other things, but that is a response people use when they form their opinions based on emotions and don't have the facts to back that opinion up. Cincinnati has been looking for a scapegoat for racism since the 2001 riots and this poor cop is it. Sure the shooting is horrifying and emotional and I hurt for the guy, but I don't think it's the cops fault for protecting his own life.
I am a white woman and personally I think the officer was trigger happy. There was no need too blow the man's head off and kill him. The police officer was not dragged and he was unharmed. It was a traffic stop. Tensing was in the wrong and needs to pay for what he did.
The issue is that the officer chose to shoot the man in the head from close range. I would assume I officer knew this would kill him. I understand the officer's need to act if he was fearing for his own safety but he could have aimed to maim. Not kill.
U can definitely tell the car wasnt moving in the UNEDITED video... It clearly shows Officer with his hands around Sam's chest.. Still in seatbealt with his gun drawn he shoots n his head... N car begins to take off!!! Its pretty clear... U also see Sam's hands UP beforw he shoots as well... Yall specilating without seeing the FULL video!!! He didnt ask him to get out he asked to "take off your seatbelt"... Then preceedes to try opening door.. Sam tried to close it back... Probably a lil shocked that he was opening his door ... From there Officer reached into car grabs Sam... Pulls out his gun n shoots him POINT BLANK!!! U then see him slump over... N car begins to roll
U can definitely tell the car wasnt moving in the UNEDITED video... It clearly shows Officer with his hands around Sam's chest.. Still in seatbealt with his gun drawn he shoots n his head... N car begins to take off!!! Its pretty clear... U also see Sam's hands UP beforw he shoots as well... Yall specilating without seeing the FULL video!!! He didnt ask him to get out he asked to "take off your seatbelt"... Then preceedes to try opening door.. Sam tried to close it back... Probably a lil shocked that he was opening his door ... From there Officer reached into car grabs Sam... Pulls out his gun n shoots him POINT BLANK!!! U then see him slump over... N car begins to roll
Hopefully your son won't be shot for jaywalking which is a more serious offense. Dubose did nothing wrong and certainly did not deserve to die for a missing front license plate.
It astounds me that anyone could justify taking someone's life without truly being in a life or death situation. While Mr. DuBose should not have been trying to start his vehicle, it did not warrant the officer to take his life. He could have tried other measures; shooting in an extremity or in an area of the body that would not have been fatal, if it even had to come to that point.
Watching the hd video on a high quality monitor shows that Tensing was not dragged. The shot was fired in the first second or two after the video action seems to pick up. Most of the "dragging" is actually Tensing chasing the car after the dead man's foot either hit the gas or slipped off the brake.
I watched the UNEDITED video. Like 20 times. Like I said. People see what they want to see. We'll have to agree to disagree.
Idiots... first off her first sentence is... the last three comments have been removed. The . (Period) Means end of one sentence and start of next sentence. That lesson is free of charge ur welcome... next thing he started the car once it was off, do u think that was for sh*ts and giggles. Haha no he was going to flee. To the ones defending this crimanal, if he had fled and ran over one of ur kids killing them, or parents brothers sisters anyone close to you, how would you feel.. a criminal killed someone u love and he could have been stopped, hope no wait i PRAY that changes ur opinion if not then there is no helping you and that will be the reason this country falls apart.
Unedited video
https://www.facebook.com/iAMmaintain/videos/1607058056211207/
And of course his previous 75 arrests and the fact that he was just a POS doesn't matter. I don't care if the person is black, white or purple. A POS is POS and this world is much better off without this a-hole.
In no way did he diserve to be shot however neither person is innocent in this situation. I hope they keep that in mind at the trial. I'm glad no other citizens were injured as a result. I feel for the families in both sides. I hope this doesn't tear the city apart
All of you wanna be cops/prosecutors/lawyers and everything else have all the time in the world to watch, think, and decide what to do. Yet most of you make a wrong decision, probably because you are an ignorant racist sob. Why don't you try and do something good for once in you life and see the situation for what it is? Try putting yourself in that officers position. How much time does he have to make the decision? Knowing that if he makes a wrong one it might cost him his life. How much violence has he seen, how many cops have died because they were slow to act/react? That CRIMINAL put himself in that position. Do what you are asked to do and you don't have to worry about getting hurt.
You do realize that the cop saw the bottle and asked him to see it....ant to me it looked full and probably unopened.
An average car weights about 4000 lb. If that car travels 60, 70 mph it weighs even more. At that speed, it is very deadly. Now, lets not forget that most chases reach the speed of 100 mph and even more. Being in the hands of a desperate wreck less criminal that is a very deadly weapon. Running through stop lights, stop signs, intersections, driving the wrong way, etc. Does the public deserve to be placed in that kind of a danger?
The officer yells for him to stop as he takes off and is entangled with him and then you hear the shot.
Thank you.
Could he have not shot him? Yea sure.. But, its not like an innocent law abiding, good natured person was killed.. It was a criminal, breaking the law by driving suspended and was about to flee from an officer, and then had he got away im sure resisting arrest would have quickly followed once officers were able to stop him. So where was he coming from? On his way from work? Hmm seriously doubt that with his record.. well i guess that would also depend on you definition of "work" i am sure those who are saying he was some innocent citizen also view being a drug dealer as an honest living.. i never get myself i. The middle of these arguments, but people have got to start seeing things for what they are. YES OK I GET IT the cop shot the guy! The car was off and dubose hut the ignition TO RUN yea the cop didnt need to kill him, but the reality of it is he just removed a useless drain on society.
#1. There's been videos released of Tensing's stops over the last few weeks and all of them have been black men.
#2. If he didn't have his license on him, all he had to do was ask his name and/or social and run it info to find out who he was.
#3. Instead of opening that man's door when he had no right to do so, he could have just written him a ticket. No show front plate is only a 60 dollar fine.
#4. That "bottle" was NOT alcohol, it was homemade air freshener. If you actually LISTEN to the video, that's what was said. (My grandparents kept those in their cars because it lasts longer than the store bought air freshener).
#5. Tensing pulled the trigger and shot Sam in the head BEFORE he even had the chance to drive off. The cop could have easily just backed away from his car and called it in.
He killed that man for no reason. He wasn't in fear for his life. If he believed that he would have never lied on his damn report and had other cops lie for him. If you did nothing wrong and truly believed your life was in danger, why lie? He killed an unarmed civilian in cold blood.
#1. If you ever had the guts to do the job these police do on a daily basis you would know that you can't tell what race someone is before or while pulling them over. Also, Cincinnati has a very high African American population in that area so the fact that he pulled African American people over often is no surprise.
#4. Barton "GIN" as it said on the bottle is a, you guess wrong, a alcoholic GIN, not an air freshener. If your parents used gin as a airfreshener I'm not surprised you're writing what you're writing. You're probably drunk right now.
-Not a drunk asshole.
Bottom line. You don't wanna get stopped by police ,DON'T BREAK THE LAW. Plain and simple. We all know if dbag gets away and a chase ensues that some innocent person is hit and killed, then it's the cops fault then too. They are out there everyday for ungrateful assholes. Until you have been in their shoes STFU. Take a police firearms training course or step into the F.A.T.S. simulator. Until then STFU. For those brainless people throwing hate and accusations out there that is the Firearms Training Simulator. It goes over various scenario involving shoot don't shoot. As good as that is, it and any other training they do does not compare to the real situation. If you can do the job better, then maybe you should apply for the job. But I'm sure I won't see or hear of anyone going to Police HR department or testing anytime soon.
Follow the video.
1:50 Officer attempts to open door
1:51 Driver reaches for ignition and door simutanously
1:52 Driver pulls door shut
1:53 Driver starts engine
1:54 Driver shifts into gear; engine accel is heard; gun is visible
1:55 Shot heard; gun is visible inside the window frame; engine gets louder
1:56 Officer falls; Engine noise grows louder
The driver is a criminal and endangered himself and the officer, and the community by attempting to flee rather than take accountability.
The officer pulled his weapon as any officer would/should do in that situation, but very clearly overreacted and never should have put his gun inside the window, pointed at the drivers head, knowing the car was in gear and about to move. Proper training would have dictated the officer take a step away in defensive action and control his weapon in proper stance. It's doubtful this was purposeful, and is NOT "murder", but certainly qualifies for negligent homicide and firing.
I have deleted many comments, not because the people posting them have a different take on what occurred, but because they are blatantly rude and racist in their writing. This prove how hard it is to have a civil conversation about this subject. I don't know how many comment attack me for being a racist white woman which is amusing since I have two biracial children and one black son. I am hardly racist but I am pro good behavior and law-abiding citizens of all races and pro good police officers of all races. Some police officers indeed have committed crimes and racism can be a motivation for some, but not every police involved shooting has racism as a motive. The only reason I brought up the race of Mr. Dubose is because #blacklivesmatter is being attached to this crime. If it was #alllivesmatter I wouldn't have mentioned race.
Ex-Office Tensing clearly did not have any wish to kill anyone the day this went down. It was a horrible result of a nonlawabiding citizen noncooperation with police. Maybe Tensing could have made a better choice but in the seconds this incident occurred, he panicked and chose to pull the trigger in self-defense. At no time do I believe he shot Mr. Dubose in the head just because he felt like it and, yes, I have watched the unedited version.
I don't want black citizens or any other citizens or even felons to be shot by some psycho cop. But, I also don't want to see police officers being targeted as racist killers when a citizen breaks the law, doesn't cooperate with the office, and then threatens the officer's safety, and they must respond with force.
You may disagree with me but if you wish to add to the discussion, be civil. When you are crude and nasty and making ad hominem attacks and slanderous accusations of racism, you do not exactly represent rational citizens wit a different opinion, but hooligans with anger management problems.
It wasn't unopened..look at the video again..Gin isn't yellow..It's clear..
Are we watching the same video, No for real. He did purposely killed Dubose. He was not being dragged. Who cares about the license plate, the bottle of Gin, his Drivers License. He was closing the door. A good cop would have called for back up in the beginning of this whole stop. So yes he killed that man and lied to try to cover it up.
Cop tried opening his door ,man reacted naturally to flee cop reaches in to stop him by turning key it starts he panics discharges weapon guy goes limp , car races off to eventually crash into a pole. He may be justified if he can argue he was stuck , but as an officer he should have called dispatch for backup at the first sign of trouble , this matter was handled unprofessionally and I think he realized this.. It is not ok to reach inside a potentials threats vehicle under any circumstances especially without backup , he put himself in a horrible situation and thus a horrible result occurred . Also because he was fleeing justification could get sticky, at the sign of the alcoholic beverage the situation should have drastically been handled differently on top of previous questioning.hmm it is sad for both parties to take a life is not easy it can't be returned also for the other persons family I am saddened . For most people "law abiding" or not cops are intimidating that is kinda of the point in order to scare off others from even starting a crime. It's sad you have all made this about race two peoples lives and family's live were radically altered based on the actions that took place . Though you will never realize maybe until it happens to you but let hope it does not! Good day all
Warren, you don't call for backup every time you make a traffic stop or ask the driver to get out of the vehicle. Most of the time, citizens comply by handing over their license, being polite, and exiting the vehicle if asked. Once is a while, a citizen refuses to comply and the officer must handle the situation right away and Tensing did this. Do some ridealongs with the police and you will see that most remain professional during their word day and criminal behave in one of two ways: they comply because they know the drill or they become argumentative and combative and they end up cuffed and arrested. Dubose was the latter and he knew he was going to be cuffed and arrested which is why he tried to close the door and drive off.
"Purposely killed" is can never be proven. However, several of the officers actions in those 3 seconds before were purposeful, and also negligent as it wouldn't follow proper training. At no time in police training are you taught to reach into a drivers window or point your gun through the window. In fact, proper training is just the opposite because that window frame is a deadly and restrictive trap hole to a 3000lb moving object for which the officer is not in control of. In this case purposely entering through that moving window frame with his gun/hand/arm likely resulted in the trigger accidentally (or inadvertently) being pulled. Protocol would have been to stall the driver until backup arrived to assist in properly containing the vehicle, the driver, and the situation. This officers actions were negligent for sure, and for that he will be convicted. But the prosecutor will have to amend the indictment to allow for lesser offenses including negligent homicide. Otherwise, premeditated murder with forethought will not be proven and the officer will walk free.
I heard him even state its not alcohol
And a slowed down version shows sammy hands is the air a split second before shot being fired
Anonymous 5:18
I think your commentary is excellent. Training is often not as thorough as it should be and I don't know the extent of this Tensing's training background. Yes, he may have not followed the best protocol but it is often true that out in the field, day after day, there may be times when an officer is not 100% on perfect procedure or 100% on making the best call. I am not saying this is an excuse for poor performance, I am just saying it happens. If this case were reviewed carefully and properly with all aspects of what occurred from beginning to end of this traffic stop and the police chose to fire Tensing and the prosecutor had strong evidence of a lesser offense than premeditated murder - like you say - negligent homicide - then I would not find the aftermath of this incident so disturbing.
What IS disturbing is the huge outcry of racism and claims of police purposefully murdering black citizens and the prosecutor sucking up to this which all I can say - having read his words - is about his career.
This will have to be proven by accident reconstruction type experts, because when I looked at the film, I couldn't tell what was going on. This will have to be proven with mathematics and measurements and forensic evidence to establish the speed and timeline, etc.
Peraph,
Absolutely. The rush to judgment that this officer committed murder, premeditated murder at that, is to some extent based on a video that can easily be misinterpreted. This often is the problem with photos and videos; one has to be careful of the perspective, what happened before and after, and what we can't tell from the video like the possibility of the officer feeling the car jerk or a rev of the engine...so many things. A thorough analysis of the incident should take place before someone is called a murderer because, at this point, there is no absolute evidence to support this.
Pat, it seems that you deleted my comment from earlier today (about 3 hours ago), which was entirely civil. I did not refer to you, or to race, and I was not in any way rude. Mine was the one pointing out that modern police forces are socialistic, and that we need to disband government police in favor of private security, which is far more efficient and protective of life and property.
Did you delete my comment because you think this idea is beyond the pale? You said you deleted comments that were rude and racist.
This is not at all a crazy idea -- modern police forces are a relatively recent institution. Please google Radley Balko for historical context, especially his excellent book, Rise of the Warrior Cop (available on Amazon).
Larry Ruane
Exactly. He clearly told him what was in the bottle ( air freshener/ oil ). He also was willing to give his name and suggested to run his name in the system. Also if he felt like he was suspicious why didn't he summon the other officers over to the vehicle to assist him. If you noticed Sam reached for his front plate(glove box), the bottle, and also in the compartment by the steering wheel so he already knew before he reached for his door he was going to shoot. Coward!.......
Sorry Anon 5:35
I accidentally erased yours. However, this is really not the subject of the topic here, whether the police force should or should not exist but rather whether there is a out-of-control mass hysteria naming cop involved shooting as racist murders even when they are not.
I think the concept of a totally privatized force is interest although I am not sure it is workable in our society. But, it will be an interesting topic to read more on.
"What IS disturbing is the huge outcry of racism and claims of police purposefully murdering black citizens and the prosecutor sucking up to this which all I can say - having read his words - is about his career."
I agree. This is an accident resulting from 3 poorly handled seconds by an officer that strayed from protocol in the heat of the moment and will pay years of jail time for those few seconds. On the other end was long-time criminal that poorly handling every second of his life, yet was out breaking the law again. Those are the people for which every person EXPECTS the police to help deal with. If the driver pulled a gun and killed the officer this would be a small article buried behind front page with no one claiming racism. If that happened and the driver was later killed in shoot out with pursuing officers then racism would be questioning the initial stop and the shootout. It's a one-sided claim because it's irrational.
Saw it. I want to point our he says stop twice before a shot it fired and San wasn't taking his belt off, he was starting his car.
Pat, if this was your black son would the reasoning and justification for this murder still be acceptable to you?
"...our society is being torn apart by incidents like this almost weekly"
These incidents have actually declined dramatically over the decades. It's just now the media is sensationalizing it and increasing the cries of racism.
Fleeing without lawful detaintment, is at best a misdemeanor (depending on the State). So now, a potential misdemeanor equals punishment by death - execution style without representation or trial.
I love all you anonymous people
I just wondered what would have happened if the cop was black ????. I can only hope the same reaction ,but I doubt it . Only White cops make bad choices .And it WAS a bad choice . Just curious.
Forensic Science will show he was drug at least 25 feet at angle where he could have been run over by the rear wheels. Notice the surrounding objects and then play the video frame by frame. He ends up on his back across the street with his feet facing 180 degrees from where he was standing. And the objects in the video clearly show he was far from the starting point. Very respectfully.
Anon 6:09
First of all, my black son does not commit crimes. Secondly, when he has been stopped by a police office, black or white or hispanic, he has been polite and cooperative. NEVER would he struggle with a police officer or assault him or drive off with the police officer touching or near his vehicle. IF he were that type and chose to take such actions, I would be very sad he made such horrible choices and I would not blame the police officer for acting in self-defense.
My issue is with UC Police enforcing traffic laws outside the Campus. Is that really their purpose and mission? Why was Tensing stopping a non student for a minor traffic vÃolation off campus? I began my police career as a campus police officer and retired after 30 years in suburban Cincinnati as a Lieutenant. I know that policing students in an educational environment is different than policing downtown Cincinnati. I also know all about suspicious behavior and how bad a traffic stop can go in a split second. You cannot justify the use of deadly force because of speculation. You have to have facts in evidence and specific articulation of a threat of immediate danger. The facts in evidence are 1) The traffic stop was for no license plate on the front of the car. 2) DuBose started the car and Tensing reached inside the car ordering him to stop. Proper procedure dictates an officer not endanger himself by placing himself inside the suspect's vehicle. You are not justified in using deadly force to stop or apprehend a traffic offender. Bad shoot all the way around. Tensing should never been off campus enforcing minor traffic laws in the city. Surely his attention to duty on campus was more valuable. I hope the University and city revisit their agreement.
Anon 6:18 Three of the police officers charged in Baltimore were black. I think the bigger issue is who is the one who is being "victimized" by the police. This whole issue is racially inflamed and, for some reason, the entire law enforcement segment of this country is being painted with a broad brush.
Who cares if it was alcohol or not, that wasn't the issue. He didn't have his license, shut the door when the officer went to open it and started to take off. He was clearly suspicious and knew he was in trouble. The officer might have over reacted, but so is everyone else that is so easy to point fingers that the cop was in the wrong. Bet most of you people claiming the cop was in the wrong drives thru Cincinnati with there doors unlocked, windows rolled down and not look over your shoulders, regardless if there blacks or whites around. I know I don't....
My issue is with UC Police enforcing traffic laws outside the Campus. Is that really their purpose and mission? Why was Tensing stopping a non student for a minor traffic vÃolation off campus? I began my police career as a campus police officer and retired after 30 years in suburban Cincinnati as a Lieutenant. I know that policing students in an educational environment is different than policing downtown Cincinnati. I also know all about suspicious behavior and how bad a traffic stop can go in a split second. You cannot justify the use of deadly force because of speculation. You have to have facts in evidence and specific articulation of a threat of immediate danger. The facts in evidence are 1) The traffic stop was for no license plate on the front of the car. 2) DuBose started the car and Tensing reached inside the car ordering him to stop. Proper procedure dictates an officer not endanger himself by placing himself inside the suspect's vehicle. You are not justified in using deadly force to stop or apprehend a traffic offender. Bad shoot all the way around. Tensing should never been off campus enforcing minor traffic laws in the city. Surely his attention to duty on campus was more valuable. I hope the University and city revisit their agreement.
Because he wasn't cooperating his life should be taken away from him? Sam not cooperating does not justify his traggic death. I wonder if Sam had a feeling he would get pulled over that day on his way home and have everything taken away from him because the officer wasn't trained to not shoot someone in the head if theyre just not cooperating. Police officer or not..if you shoot and kill someone, you are a murderer. This article seems biased to me. Pat you need to widen your horizon and open your eyes. Not all cops are out to save and protect everyone.
The gun was discharged before the car moved. If you watch the video in slow motion as the police officer is reaching in the car to grab the keys he is holding on to Mr. Dubose's seatbelt and Mr. Dubose's arms are up.. This wasn't about race. This was about a cop who made a sad decision to discharge his weapon on an a man who did absolutely nothing wrong. There was no need for his weapon to even have been drawn. Another innocent life taken, no matter the color of the person's skin, by yet another incompetent cop. This was fully on the cop.
" Another young police officer's life is destroyed"...at least he has a life to live Pam. I'm sure Sam would much rather be out on bail than 6ft under with a hole in his head.
Anon 6:55 My eyes are open and I am not an apologist for all cops. I have spoken up against bad cops in the past and been accused of dissing them...so one can't win. This police officer is not a bad cop, maybe a scared one or one who reacted too quickly, but I have no proof of the officer being wrong as yet and we shall have to wait for proper analysis of all the facts in court.
I got an idea....how about if you get stopped....do exactly what's asked of you and better yet don't do illegal things like drive a car without a license. I think the deceased had made a lot of bad choices in his lifetime. Obviously he had a record. I get so tired of the race card being pulled. Oh does that make me a racist. It's disgusting how people blow this shit so out of control. Doesn't matter what color you are someone has to control the irresponsible individuals that could care less about anything but themselves.
Did anyone else notice that at no time did he ask him to turn the car off and remove the keys from the ignition? If he did suspect he was going to flee, would that not have been a good first step? Even if he had refused, should that not have at least been requested?
As usual, they are writing an story before ALL the facts are in. And , as usual, they are making the police out to be the bad guys. Wonder how they are going to like a lawless society ...... that's what they will have, unless they start waiting for all the facts before they write their story. A guy that has 75 run ins with the police is not a law abiding citizen, and has no respect for police authority.
Too many statist Americans who think that what the law does is what the right this to do is, and to be so wrong. You cannot shoot the man for fleeing like that. You cannot shoot an unarmed man who is not a threat to you. It's illegal. Police in this country have adopted new training and policies in recent decades that are increasingly deadly, and they're killing 1,100 people a year. Profiling is a violation of individual sovereignty. It means going after someone based upon the odds that they're a criminal. And then there's SWAT, which these days is showing a lot of cases of bringing a tank to a knife fight and in those situations, things get quick and dicey. Sometimes they get the wrong address and blow everybody away. Then there's the 1099 program, where police are picking up a billion in military surplus at low prices and sometimes free. And then there's the common, modern police practice of pulling a gun first, and then finding out what the story is later. I mean, if you don't have a weapon and aren't a threat, police are not supposed to be pulling their guns out and pointing them at you. If you point a gun at someone, you'll be arrested for attempted murder. It's a pretty serious situation to be in. We have police captains across the country training with IDF now, and that gets pretty rough. And meanwhile, the homicide rates in the US have radically declined from 1980 to the present day. I think too many of the American people lose their point of reference on proper police behavior. These are "Officers of the Peace", and not the military. We're doing really bad this way when compared to other first world countries who are not shooting their citizens like we are. The differences are enormous. Check some European countries; it's nothing like the US.
All I want to know is why the officer lied on video and on paper?Especially if he was doing his "Job" or "Feared " for his life?
Well said!
There trying to make sam look like such a bad person because of mistakes ge made in past. There Has Been Many Times We Stop At She'll IN Clifton, To Get Gas or Something To drink. This cop has been very gun hoe, and cocky, and run us off treating us. After other cops have stopped and talked to us, and had no problem with us sitting there finishing are drinks or snack we bought.
First of all I've never seen a bottle of golden Gin. I don't think that was alcohol. I think that was air freshener
I totally agree
Why such disregard for someone's life? Mr Dubose had a right to live no matter his background or driving violation. Why does the # of children he had matter? Why does he have to be a POS? His life mattered too... Color doesn't matter here, it's the disregard for a life.. A LIFE! I just don't understand some people...
It's very simple, do what you are told when you get pulled over by the police period! The victim is not Mr Innocent either, so quit trying to portray him as such...I do not believe Officer Tensing deserves to do any time in jail! Officers are not trained to shoot and wound, they are trained to shoot to kill....Officer Tensing believed his life was at stake, that by law gives him the right to shoot.....Joe Deters comments were shameful and politically motivated! End of story....
I don't understand the detail if the car wasn't moving, then how was it in drive mode? He could not have had it in drive without accelerating? How can a deceased person move their foot to the gas peddle?
.The only problem this highlights is that of the thugs that are a drain on society thst don't think they should have to follow the laws or have any ethics or morals. Oh btw all you street lawyers might actually want to keep up on Supreme Court rulings. The police can order anyone in the vehicle that is stopped to stay in or get out as needed to control the situation.
Ok, I'm going to put in my two cents. No I do not believe Sam DuBose deserved to be shot. Here is the thing, we have to many Barney Fists out there, not sure if I spelled that last name right or not. We have to many scared officers out there. We have no way of knowing how many because what cop is going to admit they are scared. They are giving a badge and a gun and that gives some of these officers bravery, it is a false bravery. That is in my opinion what has happened here. The cop was wrong, but Sam should have kept the car in park. To me Sam was throwing up some flags, but I didn't see any that required an officer to have his gun drawn unless he was already scared. I am loving officers having body cams. This officer needs to be charged with some kind of wrongful death charge yes. What I also hope happens is that now every officer, everywhere has to start to wear a camera. Enough with the he said she said shit, this process we have scared cops that are scared for no reason, just scared. A scared man will shout you out he has a gun. Watch, you can see this cop was scared of a black man out right, first of all. If you are scared to lose your life, please don't become a police officer.Unfortunately, to be a cop means you may get killed tonight. I would not want to know that everytime I went to work, so I wouldn't make a good cop then right. This cop was just that, scared. More cameras please
Maybe you should check your statistics. More white people have been killed in cop related shootings in the past year than african americans. That's what I can't stand about the world. Everyone wants to turn it into race. No one starts rioting when there's black on black crime or white on white crime but when the opposition happens to be of varying races then the whole world blows it up into a racial issue. I mean seriously. People are just LOOKING for something to get all bent out of shape about. This country is going to hell because of idiots out there who do this shit. So over it.
Let me repeat: racist slurs, ad hominem attacks, profanity, and rudeness are not acceptable. You may express an opinion different from mine and I will leave it for discussion. However, if you cannot be civil, your comments are not welcome here.
Totally agree with the article. I seen it from the first showing of the video. The prosecutor threw this man under the bus because he didn't want another riot in Cinci.Plus his name calling was so unprofessional and immature. I don't even see how this man got so far in his career. I know I will be supporting this officer 100%. The problem with people now a days is they root for the criminal to much. I personally can't wait to see the officer's attorney rip Detter's a new one!
Pat Brown you are way off on this. My wife is an officer and this is an embaressement to the entire police profession. This man was executed. If as you say he was scared that's an even poorer reason. If your that scared your gonna shoot someone for fleeing from a no front tag you shouldn't be an officer. It's the 2% that give the other 98% a bad name. We applaud Deters for having the courage to prosecute. Do I think he pulled him over intending to kill him, no. But that doesn't make it right either. Being an officer he has more of an obligation to maintain his calm and protect himself AND the driver. He lost his composure and executed the driver. Now he must pay by going to jail for a very long time, which I agree with.
I agree 100%
Anon 12:34
Many police officers agree with me. DuBose was not shot over not having a front tag. He was stopped for not having a front tag. He was shot for endangering the officer's life when he put the car in motion. The officer was composed until the minute DuBose put his foot on the gas. Then he reacted in self-defense.
Dubose was not executed. If anything, the highest level of charges should be manslaughter or negligent homicide. To say someone executed someone means a premeditated murder which this was not and the prosecutor has no business charging Tensing with this.
That has been my question all along, why is a UC police officer out on the streets stopping regular people driving by? I went to Xavier, and we had Campus Police, but I don't ever remember them being out on Victory Parkway stopping people, even though Victory runs through the Xavier campus.I have seen them respond to an accident, but only until CPD got there. Not saying it never happened, but that I never saw it in my 4 years at XU.
I'm sorry this man died. I don't think the officer intended to kill him, I think he got scared and pulled the trigger, that being said, Dubose was a criminal and he didn't comply. If a cop stops you, you comply, period. Seriously, who has an argumentative conversation with a cop? I don't, but it sure seems like it's okay to do that now. Had Dubose been respectful, and apologized for not having the plate on the front, said he would go home and put it on this would have went down a LOT differently.
Why was his weapon even drawn? There was no imminent danger. He escalated the situation. You don't think him drawing and aiming his weapon might have frightened the victim? He could have easily drawn taser or pepper spray instead. And to say if he had fled and ran over two kids, the cop would be getting all the blame? When the cop shot him in the head, his car still took off with ZERO control, didn't it? So that is really a moot point.
I agree with everything you say in this blog post... police officers draw their weapons out of fear. They're very afraid. I would be scared too. I mean, back in the day police used to be strong men who wouldn't quickly kill unarmed people even in a scary situation. But times have changed. Now it's alright to be scared. I mean, little kids get to be scared, so why can't grown men? I agree that cops are more scared now, like little children, and it's alright for them to pull their weapons like little scaredy-cats and kill unarmed people. I would do it too, because I'm a little wimp, just like these cops.
Anon 1:36
I am not sure what you are trying to say but police officers have always been wary of being shot on the job. It is a fact of life that when you come in constant contact with criminals one of them may try to take you out. Traffic stops are particularly nerve-wracking because one never knows what they will encounter upon arriving at the driver's window. Unlike approaching a situation where a known dangerous criminal is involved and police are at the ready and with a plan in progress, the officer approaching the came is supposed to do so in a pleasant manner as he is usually interacting with a law-abiding citizen. But, then, suddenly, that is not what the officer is dealing with and in an instant, the scenario becomes frightening and life threatening which only gives the police officer seconds to register what is happening and to save his life. He is not a wimp; he is a normal human being who wants to live and go home to his family. Everyday he goes into the field he risks not coming home. And he isn't risking his life breaking the law and harming other citizens but in order to protect the citizens. We citizens ought to appreciate this difficult job the police do, especially those who live in crime ridden communities because without the police there, it would be complete chaos.
Why is it that when the police officers do there job it's about race. I am so sick of that. Point blank if the guy was not breaking the law he wouldn't get pulled over. I think it's a crime to put that police officer in jail for doing his job. I watched video. He didn't do anything wrong .
Here is the legal standard set out by Graham v. Connor:
[t]he "reasonableness" of a particular use of force must be judged from the perspective of a reasonable officer on the scene, rather than with the 20/20 vision of hindsight. The calculus of reasonableness must embody allowance for the fact that police officers are often forced to make split-second judgments—in circumstances that are tense, uncertain and rapidly evolving—about the amount of force that is necessary in a particular situation. The test of reasonableness is not capable of precise definition or mechanical application.
"So the standard is, would a reasonable police officer have used this level of force in the heat of the moment of this situation. Not "would a reasonable police officer who watched this video a bunch of times in slow motion" have used this level of force."
People can argue about it all they want when that man was shot in his head his body is dead from the head down instantly which is just about common sense and that he isn't moving anything which means he done had his car floored before he got shot
I was all for Sam until u posted this video. I still think the cop may have had other options but Sam had actually pulled that officer. I originally thought that he didn't move until he was shot. If u look In the video there is a suv in the drive behind it but in front of the car. In slow motion it shows them passing that suv as he fires. I think it's a shame for Sam and the officer. The officer prolly was scared but for his life to kill a man I don't know.
#1. Officer Tensing works in an area of town that is predominantly occupied by African Americans. Of course most of his stops were of African Americans. Simple mathematics.
#2. If he had a license, all he had to do was say so, something that he refused to do. I'm sure that every time an officer asks for a name and ssn they are given accurate information (insert sarcasm).
#3. The man was not compliant, therefore he did indeed have the right to open his door. And please reference #2, how can you issue a citation to someone if you're not even sure who they are?
#4.This bottle, and whatever may or may not have been in it, is irrelevant.
#5. Clearly Sam had started the ignition and placed his foot on the accelerator prior to being shot otherwise he would not have continued forward after his death.
I find it fascinating that people who have watched the video over and over and in slow motion and everything else can criticize a person who didn't have that luxury and had to make all of these decisions within LITERALLY seconds. Bottom line, you weren't there, you weren't involved, you have NO IDEA what actually happened, so be careful casting stones.
I'm not saying this man deserved to get shot by no means I personally think it was an accident he had his weapon drawn and when the guy tried to take off he had the weapon pointed towards him and he probably had his finger in the trigger guard and when the car went to take off like in any situation when your losing your balance u want to grab on to something just so happen to be his gun that was pointed towards the guy my rant is people just keep saying it was just a traffic stop well you intellagent people why don't you look up videos on how many of police officers has got gunned down to death or ran over by a car in just a simple dam traffic stop this officer had no idea who the hell he was dealing with cuz he didn't have a license to show him for all he knew he could of been a dam murder suspect or something when people start respecting the authority of the law and just listen to what the police are asking them to do this stupid shit wouldn't even happen but that's never going to happen cuz these kind of individuals don't have respect for themselves others and definatly not the authority of the law if the life of this guy is true it is a absolute tragedy that an outstanding citizen is facing life in prison for what I think is an accident cuz of an individual that has never done anything for society and people that just want to bash our finest who put there life's on the line everyday to protect and serve there community which is an outstanding citizen doing something great for society the next time you need help for something then call a crackhead that way they can go home to there loved ones and live a good life and not put there lives in danger for people that can't stand em I'm done
I think Deters was way out of line in his comments. To me, it sounded like he caved in to appease the 'community leaders' who were already stirring the pot and speaking of riots. They should be looking at why this victim had so many run-ins with the law - basically, he didn't respect himself; his many children by different baby mommas; the law or other citizens. The community leaders need to start preaching respect for the law and for other citizens and pass out condoms. As sad and cold as this sounds: If you choose to live like a thug, the chances are you will die like a thug. This vic. wasn't a sweet, law abiding citizen as family and friends portray. The family needs to stop making a spectacle of themselves and suck it up that he wasn't properly raised.
The car was not running the whole time. He had removed the keys to open the glove box and then restarted the car as he was pulling the door shut approximately. (I think that is what you meant)
I accidentally erased this comment which I responded to above.
You people are truly reaching. First of all, THERE is no law enforcement agency which trains you to open the car door of a person stopped in a traffic stop. Not one. Protocol broken. The reason being, it can provoke people leading to situations in which things escalate in a short amount of time. Just like this. Police are trained to be able to handle mentally impaired people, people under the influence of drugs, abused persons, the whole lot of people who may act erratically. There is no excuse for pulling A weapon upon resisting. Batons are literally made for this reason! The guy may nkt be a racist but police attitudes towards black men are built on fundamentally racists streotypes. We are not inherently dangerous. We are not aggressive for no reason. We are human beings who are reacting to a world in which we are the assumed enemy. Sam Dubose had a record but his last arrest was over ten years ago. He also has a license in great standing. He has 13 children who he keeps in great contact with and has been best man at my family's wedding. He was a helpful guy and he would feed, bathe, house any human who needed it. He deserved better. And this officer needs to live with his choice to not follow protocol and be trigger happy and LIE about the events which took place in order to steal this mans life and ensure freedom for himself. And to those saying he panicked, I have but one response. WE ARE LAW ENFORCEMENT. WE ARE PAID TO NOT PANIC. PEOPLE CALL US WHEN THEY PANIC. His training should have carried him through this. Civilians handke guns in that irresponsible manner. When did he take the safety off? When did he announce his intention to shoot? You dont know this as civilians, but you ade trained to not discharge your weapon at a fleeing person because bullets aren't trained at targets. Why did he still do it? There are egregious errors being made on his part just from the pov of another officer. He should be charged, tried and sentenced. This was a murder.
I am not sure where there is proof Mr. Dubose had a nonrevoked license at the time he was stopped. He certainly didn't produce one and he lied about owning the car.
As for law enforcement: yes, they are trained to follow protocol under duress and how to handle difficult situations. But, it is human nature to panic or react quickly when one believe's their life to be in danger. Law enforcement is taught also to protect themselves and citizens are supposed to act in such a way as not to cause the officer to think he is about to be attacked or killed.
Police attitudes toward black males are not based on stereotypes. In fact, during all the ridealongs I have done with both white and black cops in black neighborhoods, I have seen them respond to criminal behavior, not to color of skin. When they are dealing each and every day with all the people in the community, they are well aware of all types of persons from the church going minister to the hardworking men to the drug dealers and troublemakers. And they know which lawbreakers are not so bad and which ones are a problem. I have seen many a cop address a lawbreaker by first name and tell him to just move on (instead of arresting him on some small charge). I have seen them ignore small amounts of weed, I have seen them help crackheads out of the middle of the road....it is not like the police are running around accusing every black male of a crime. But, when they see suspicious behavior they check it out FOR THE GOOD OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD because law-abiding black citizens don't want criminals causing them problems and robbing them and killing them. Many black citizens are on good terms with the local police and are happy to have them serve the community.
BTW, I never said Mr. DuBose did not have positive elements to his character. I have known numerous people who have spent time behind bars who can be fun, helpful, loving, and productive. However, when a person has a really long rap sheet, drug issues, and creates many children outside of wedlock, this is an indication of irresponsibility and a lack of respect for the law and community. One can say that Mr. DuBose has changed and become more responsible but this is not evident in his traffic stop. He is still driving without a valid license (and responsible person would take a bus or walk or catch rides), he lies to the police officer, and he is uncooperative and endangered the life of the police officer. So, while he may be a likable fellow under certain circumstances, this does not change the fact he was breaking the law at the time of the traffic stop.
I will repeat, all comments containing ad hominem attacks, rudeness, profanity, and accusations of me being a racist, will be removed. If you do not agree with my point of view, you can politely state yours and it will not be removed.
And is it possible that in today's society where officers shoot first ask questions later that when the officer for agrresive and triedvtobopen the door , than reached in the car that Mr.Dobose feared for his life? But one has a gun and one doesn't and I guess Pat Brown agrees with shoot first ask later , so would it still be justified if Dobose shot Tensing? After all Tensing was aggressive, had an attitude, trying to handle business that was none of his because he IS NOT EVEN A CITY OFFICER, AND HE HAS A GUN THAT WE CLEARLY SEE HE IS QUICK TO PULL?
So you can degrade a man's character but we can't degrade yours? Keep deleting comments it doesn't change the fact that this article gives off exactly what many are saying about you .
Anon 9:12 Tensing did not have an attitude. He was quite polite and even really friendly to Mr. DuBose when he pulled him over. He began to get more serious when he was lied to about the vehicle, DuBose would not produce his license, and he started acting squirrelly.
It is sad that so many people are posturing & making this about Black & White! I can't recall any media outlet or the family saying " white UC Cop, shoots black man, or the family saying he was shot because he was black. I may be wrong... But i honestly dont recall hearing or reading it in print. I think the family is saying, lethal force was not warrented.... What I have noticed regardless of the bravado is we the "concerned, non racist, caring citizens" keep pointing out the very unimportant issue of race..My heart breaks over how we as a country are still so immature! The best country in the world but we can't live life in harmony... I have spent the last 26 years in the military serving protecting U.S citizen.... Not, White, Black, Asian, Indian, Latino, Mexican.... But citizens!!!!!! I did not care when I signed on the dotted line!!!!? I cared about protecting our Country so "WE" could have a good life & experience our highest potential, how ever you chose to define it!!!! To protect & defend all of you regardless of what your thoughts of me may be..... May God soften the hearts & minds of our citizens....
So you are saying that just because you don't have a license or act "squirelly" or whatever you call it a police officer should shoot you and kill you? Tell me again at what moment this 3 black citizens were violent towards officers involved?
Anon 9:40 DuBose put the car in gear with the police officer in contact with it; that constitutes assault with a deadly weapon. If they officer and fallen and been run over, would we say it wasn't Dubose's fault? I don't know what other two people you are talking about.
What?!? You are making assumptions in a situation where it is important to deal with the facts. What if he hit a child, huh. What if he didn't, because he didn't!.. Because he was shot in the head!!! Is that how you stop a citizen from fleeing?? Shoot them in the head?? Is that the way the police are trained? “Hey if you suspect a citizen is attempting to flee or is lying to you, just murder them". Hell these days they probably are, as long is the citizen is African American. And Tinsly was the only liar in the event I seen, no wait the other officers were too. They all need body cameras so when they murder unarmed people they can get what they have coming to them, instead of getting off with the ole he reached for my weapon line. Smh
More white pope have been shot numerically because there are waaaay more white people than black in USA. Check your facts. Young back males are 21% more likely to be shot than white males, by police.
This was a great unbiased article. I'm not in the police force and cannot imagine what it must be like for them at this time but as an officer isn't part of the job description (as they are trained) to remain calm under pressure? The claim that he was spooked/startled is irrelevant.. Also, can someone explain how his life was threatened? I never read or saw that a firearm was pointed toward the officer or he was attempting to run the officer over. Lastly, your first paragraph re: his history does not warrant the officer to shoot him. Once the officer was aware of his history it would have immediately put him on guard.. but the way in which you phrased the information has nothing to do with the actions of the officer.
Maybe, but hes better off that way.. saves money he would have just been in and out of jail his whole life anyway so just cut to the chase. No one would have ever heard of him until he eventually killed someone for drugs, jewelry, money, or whatever else a CRIMINAL would want. Who cares that a criminal died.. the only reason anyone care is because the cop was white and the criminal was black and everyone seems to think they HAVE to take the side of the criminal or else they will be labeled a racist.
Must be becaus I live in Amsterdam (The Netherlands). But not EVER have I seen an officer with his gun out for a traffic stop. What the hell was an officer doing with his gun out and why would you in such a close range? I just dont get it. In my country an officer draws his weapon when he sees a threath and not at any time before that. This is a crying shame and ma'am you seem very reasonable but you are also very wrong.
If it was some low life white guy id feel the same way. I agree color doesn't matter.. a waste of space is a waste of space
Pat Brown, Ma'am.... Your position is very clear... STOP & ask yourself one simple question, put race aside for just one minute.... Was lethal force necessary? I like you , am a white woman.... I don't think it was motivated by race, It is my opinion that letal force was not necessary & it could have been handled differently. OK...let's say he did pull off & drag him... He had the plate information, the car was obviously registered because, he said it was registered to a female so the address is in the system.... Get name & social of driver, run info, what ever comes back, comes back.... Tickets, no licens....etc.... Follow protocal....write additional ticket, arrest...what ever the step is based on policy.... No loss of life! Let's say he pulls off when the officer went back to the car....Follow protocol, call it in give your location & request assistance/ back up.... If you apprehended after persuit.... Follow protocol.... Arrest & take to jail whatever.... No loss of life...Ok he gets away you have name & social & licens plate # call it in... get checked out for your injury, write up the charges, issue a warrent, go to registered vehicle address pick him up & take him to jail.... No loss of life!!!! You have a body camera to prove what his charges said he is guilty of no front plate,valid/ invalid driver's will be substantiated in database.... Fleeing on camera.... Officer being drug/ hit on camera... He could have proven his case.... With out " Loss of Life' My point is this.... You are making this about race!!!! The conversation should now be about.... Murder v/s Manslaughter..... It is of my opinion that a series of bad choices were made, I think the officer is guilty of Manslaughter, based on him using lethal force in a situation that had many options available.... Again my opinion... Just as you have yours....
Anon 9:55 Many are having problems understanding why I mentioned Mr. DuBose's criminal history and life when the Tensing would not have that knowledge when he stopped the vehicle. I pointed his past has bearing on his present demeanor and behavior. For example, suppose a women has a long history of prostitution and crack addiction. When the police officer next sees her on the street, he recognizes her dress, demeanor and behavior as someone likely to be a prostitute and drug user. When he sees her lean into a car at the corner, there is a good chance the officer will think she may be soliciting or buying drugs. Now, he might see another woman - say another black woman from the same neighborhood - but her walk, demeanor, dress, everything about her screams businesswoman. If SHE leans into a car, the cop is likely to think she is saying hello to a friend or asking for directions. He will walk on and not question her activity.
If Mr. DuBose had no criminal history and was an upstanding citizen, no doubt when he was stopped, Tensing would have seen that in his demeanor and behavior. This is not to say a law abiding citizen can't go ballistic or a criminal put on an act, but there are just certain behaviors that send up red flags to a police office. As soon as DuBose pulled over and started talking, I myself immediately thought something was up with this guy, that he was involved in some not so legal behavior. That is what Tensing saw....a continuation of DuBose's past in front of him.
Anon 10:23 I am not making this about race; the country has been doing this with each officer involved shooting. And Tensing will have trouble getting a fair trial because of all the racial hatred going on.
I also was pulled over for a lack of a front license plate. When the officer asked me for my license and proof of insurance I handed it over and was issued a ticket. I paid my ticket, put a front plate on (which I had to go purchase, because my was lost,) & moved on with life. I believe that if you follow the directions of the officer the situation doesn't have to escalate.
There is a such thing as yellow/gold gin look it up.
Too many police officers thinking that shooting is the first line of defense...period...another life taken unnecessarily by a trigger happy cop who didn't have enough patience and training to consider other alternatives other than shooting the man. He did not have a weapon. Has anyone seen the video from New Richmond, OH where a police officer has a double murder suspect running at him and he chooses not to shoot at this person and considers the alternatives for calmly dealing with this situation and in the end, the suspect was taken into custody, alive and well. I blame lack of proper training for the up and coming police officers.
Unless the officer had ESP, how did he "know" he was dealing with a "criminal".... He had not ran is information, so he did not have any knowledge of his record? I did not know you could read a persons criminal history based on your perception or interpretation of what is normal behavior of someone you never meet before? So how do you determine what is or is not his normal way of being for that person...... For the record because you place value on it...I am a white male,w/ a record... I share this because you think these things matter
Your blog has been named appropriately. You cannot validate the officers actions. I am a criminal defense attorney and I challenge you to set aside what you know of the victim and then decide if the officer was correct in his action. Because at the time of a simple traffic, the officer had no idea what the victim's criminal history was. Law is not based upon what if. With that said there is a way to defend the officer and get him acquitted of all charges, but at the end of the day murder is murder. It is time we hold everyone accountable for all of their actions. If not, soon the gun will pointed at us. And by U.S. I mean white Americans.
What I saw in the video is that the black man tried to escape (he was trying to turn the car on) and avoid the office. Everybody knows the rest. This was not something related to his race. What I saw, in the very last events around the U.S. is that many black people are clearly using this as an excuse to do whatever thing. Sorry if I you get angry for my comment, but that is the true. I'm not American, and this is what many people outside the U.S. see. The video, in this case is clear, and this person was not a saint.
Anon 11:42 I did not say the past of DuBose was the reason for the officer's actions. I merely am explaining that his past behavior is not past, that he behaved inappropriately when the officer came to the car. I have explained this thoroughly; please read the longer explanation above.
Anon 11:41 Please read my explanation above about why the police officer could quickly deduce something was not right. He is familiar with similar behaviors from daily policing work. DuBose lied about the car being his and could not produce a license and had other odd behaviors; this adds up to the guy may not only be breaking the law in ways which are obvious but, since he is doing so, he may also have other crimes which can be detected (like he might have drugs on him, he could be driving a stolen car, he could have a stack of illegal weapons in the trunk). Tensing saw the DuBose was acting in a criminal manner and that is what all police should be able to quickly recognize as part of their jobs.
OK. Let's calm down here.
1. Who is more qualified to judge whether a police officer's actions are murder or not: the author, or the police chief? The answer is the chief. You can disagree with him, but it is your opinion, not an authoritative claim (Ipse Dixit).
2. Someone died for confusion in a license plate incident. In what world is that an acceptable outcome? I decry the victim blaming, because it doesn't matter if the victim was Jack the Ripper, people missing front license plates should die 0% of the time.
3. I do not argue that the officer was attempting to follow procedures. I have a huge problem with these procedures. I agree that the officer doesn't get all of the blame (but he does get a good amount, equaling a murder charge), but we must also examine and change the procedures for police officers. If our troops in Iraq were able to build trust with the locals and decrease innocent civilian casualties, so can our domestic police. They need to follow the same rules of engagement. First, never escalate, always deescalate. Second, never point a weapon at someone unless you mean to kill them. If the officer would have done these two things, he would still have a job and DuBose would be alive. If the police training at academy and continuing trainings from the department would have required officer Tensing to practice and utilize simple deescalation tactics and rules of engagement, none of this would have happened. Let's stop blaming the victim (or profiling them), who is under law innocent until proven guilty by a jury of his peers, and fix the police training manuals.
All the officer had to do was write the guy a ticket. All the driver need to do is say he didn't have his license on him. He didn't deserve to die. I got pulled over several weeks ago for my tag being expired. My insurance, although valid, the card I had in my purse was also expired. All I did was tell the cop that they were valid. He wrote me a ticket. I went to the Courthouse within 72 hours and produced valid insurance got my tags up to date. There didn't need to be a killing.
Duncan,
Police chiefs and prosecutors are not always right anymore than police officers or profilers or members of the public: we can all be right, wrong, or somewhere in between.
It is not victim blaming to recognize that the actions of DuBose led to what occurred. If he was not breaking the law, if he had not lied to the police officer, if he had not gotten into a physical confrontation with the police officer and tried to take off with the car, likely he would still be alive.
Many serial killers have been apprehended by police and in spite of the fact they are pretty horrible creatures, they get taken in alive because they do not at the moment of apprehension cause a problem to the arresting officer. DuBose , having had much experience with the police would have been wiser than many as to how to behave when stopped. He chose to misbehave and this led to his death.
Anon 12:27
No one said DuBose deserved to die. What I said was his actions led to his death. The reason the cop may have given you a break is that you didn't have other questionable behavior going on. Tensing was suspicious that there was more happening with DuBose than just a forgotten license and a borrowed car without a license plate. This is why he wanted to remove DuBose from the car and find out what ele was going on. From there, DuBose's further actions threatened the safety of the officer and led to DuBose's death. Whether one believes that Tensing actions were totally justified or a poor reaction to the circumstances is one thing; but calling this officer a murderer and making this a race issue is unreasonable.
With a few exceptions, those being, a) he did produce the license. The policeman even acknowledges by saying "ok, it's supposed to be on the front of the car: b) "the officer did not know if he was armed and dangerous", the officer had already allowed him to reach in the glove box and under the seat, prime hiding spaces for concealing a weapon. At all other times the suspects hands were completely visible. c) he was afraid of being dragged: the video clearly shows that the only part if the officer that touched the car was his hand, he was wearing short sleeves, the car door never opened,as his camera swung around it clearly shows that no part of the officers body or clothing was in the car. That being said, except for the above points, your version of the incident sounds entirely plausible. So why didn't he just say that. Ex: "The suspect could not produce a license and was acting in an evasive manner. He attempted to start the car and I became fearful. I drew my weapon and in a panic (or accidentally) shoot the suspect". Instead the officer decided to demonize and criminalize the suspect. Lying implies intent. Yes he's probably would have been charged with voluntary manslaughter, which would have been mitigated by lack of proper training and inexperience. He probably would have walked. By trying to justify his actions by lying on and vilifying the suspect, the officer put himself in his situation. All people want is transparency and accountability from the police. Give them that, and you would be surprised at how fast tensions die down.
Anon 1:04 Thank you for offering your viewpoint in a polite manner. Although I do not agree with all of your conclusions, I do believe if the case could be handled without the public rage, this would all be well and good. However, we have seen the public demanding officers be charged with murder without any evidence to support this and we find this prosecutor inflaming the public more with his rabid claims and, certainly, we see this outrage, not because a police officer ended up shooting a noncompliant citizen, but specifically because the officer was white and the man killed was black. Why do you think there is so much rage against what I wrote? I just have an opinion that the evidence does not support that the officer is a murderer in the first degree. I also try to explain why the officer did suspect DuBose of more than was immediately evident because of his questionable behavior, not because he was black. And, yet, the hundreds of comments I have had to delete because people are shouting profanity at me and calling me a racist is unbelievable. Am I a racist simply because I do not see a racial motivation in this incident and because I do not think the officer should be charged with murder and because I am concerned we are having a major problem with rushes to judgment in some cases where a black citizen ends up in a bad way after a police confrontation? It is truly unfortunate that this is the kind of reaction one gets for an opinion and many cannot have a civilized discussion.
this post makes me sad
If the cop fear for his life why would he open the suspect door??'
Anon 1:27 Tensing didn't fear for his life at the moment although he was wary as he should be when someone is lying and breaking the law. He was attempting to get DuBose out of the car while he could still see his hands and before he could drive off. When DuBose pulled the door shut and then engaged the gas pedal all the time moving about, then Tensing believed his life was in danger. All of this happened in a very short period of time and we cannot know how it would be to feel the car suddenly come to life. DuBose was supposed to be stopped and there was no reason for his foot to be anywhere near the gas pedal unless he was planning to flee.
I don't agree with it all, but can you take five minutes to put a license plate on. I do. really I do and we arnt talking about this..............
Btw, some think there is evidence that DuBose showed the license (for the car) to Tensing. He did not. He was scrambling through junk in the glove compartment (where clearly he was not coming up with any license plate) and Tensing told him he could stop and informed him that it needed to be on the front of the car.
Also, what Tensing was doing was not so much worrying about the missing license plate but delaying to see if there was something else going on. An officer can detain a vehicle for a period of time without explanation as he looks to see if something illegal is up. He may also ask the driver to get out of the car. What he cannot do is search the car without a warrant if the driver does not permit him to do so. The officer can ask questions and, if the driver does not want to answer the, he can say he won't answer without an attorney. What the driver may not do is being combative or threatening or drive off.
Since when has it been ok to shoot unarmed fleeing suspects? Heck you dont even have to chase him if it puts other people life in jeopardy you have his name and license plate # put a warrant on.him.. Come on people this was a senseless murder it didn't have to happen.. Stop tryna find ways to back Tensing up he thought wrong and made the wrong decision because he wants to act like an cop.. Pull someone over for a dumb reason when theres hundreds of cars with no front plate.. Mines doesnt and my mothers car is made without.one 07 toyota camry... His dead weight made him press the gas after being shot.. Not anybody else fault but tensings that he was dragged.. My main question is when did it start being ok for officers to shoot unarmed fleeing suspects? He didnt even seem suspicious of having a weapon
Anon 2"47 Tensing didn't shoot a fleeing suspect; he shot the man who put the vehicle in motion while he was in contact with him which is assault with a deadly weapon.
Police have the right to pull anyone over who has a vehicle that does not comply with the law. Usually when they do, if the driver acts right and hands him his license and doesn't lie, the stop is short and the driver is often given a warning or a requirement to go get something on the car fixed. Tensing had the right to stop DuBose and Dubose should have cooperated and not tried to drive off when still engaged physically with the officer.
Roxanne, no one as said because someone is criminal they should be shot. As to blaming the victim, this is not what is happening. Please read my many previous comments as I do not wish two repeat myself over and over again.
So, why did all 3 officers lie about the events that took place? If they are innocent, why lie? I mean, people love to say "if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to worry about" when speaking about the police. Why does that statement not apply to the police or these 3? If they have nothing to hide, they have nothing to worry about...so why lie?
Logic,
What you are hearing about the three officers lying comes from the prosecutor Deters. The officers explained how they believe the incident went down. Witness statements can be accurate or off depending on the emotions going on at the time and also because everything happens in a blur and that is why the memory is sometime faulty. Let's now wait until the trial to determine if these men are guilty of lyiing.
If a cop tells you to stop you stop.. plain and simple, if a cop tells you to get out of your car you get out of your car, .. plain and simple if a cop tells you to do something you stop what your doing and you follow his orders and COMMUNICATE that way things go as smoothly and simple as they can, did he deserve getting shot absolutely not, but I don't believe the young officer meant to shoot him in the head, I believe this officer was in a state of, fear and shock so in a panic he pulled his weapon to get the man to stop. Things don't always go as planned
Wow! What I am reading truly disturbs me. There are two families that have been torn apart that will never be that same again. Some people will not be happy until there is a public lynching at fountain square. We are all entitled to our opinions, but getting your information straight from the media is not always correct. I know that 1st hand. Last year there was a bike run with a fatality. I was on that run. The information on ALL local channels was different. Not one of them had it right! I am guessing that is true with this situation as well. Do I think we have all the facts? NO. Do I think we have seen all the video? NO. I personally think we need to leave it to the professionals to figure this out. Just remember, there are always 3 sides to a story, His side, Her side and the Truth. Officer Tensing will have his day in court. Without our police force, there would be chaos. We need to stop the war on COPS. You may need them some day.
As so people posting do not seem to know how to be civil, I am going to require all comments to be approved before they are put up. If you are intent on making ad hominem attacks and disparaging remarks toward me, your comment will be deleted instantly. Believe me, I don't waste my time reading such comments. If I find your comment can contribute to the discussion and a clearer understanding of the issue (whether you agree with me or not) then your comment will be posted.
Weezie, the media has long left behind the concept of telling the facts; they promote agenda. Like you, I have seen horrifically incorrect reporting of a news incident, missing facts, misconstrued facts, and commentary from news hosts that forward a particular agenda. Right now, I can't think of a media outlet that hasn't completely trashed Tensing and even allowed for the possibility that the man is not guilty of murder and that we do not have all the facts nor have had time to carefully analyze the facts. I got lambasted when I spoke on air about the cop who shot the man in Florida because I said that the officer was polite when he pulled the man over and talked to him, that the man ran which was certainly suspicious and that they was some kind of resistance when the officer caught up with him. Then something happened and the officer shoots and what we see is the man running away and getting shot. I simply said that up until that point the officer had done nothing wrong and showed no sign of racism or an attitude toward the citizen and the citizen behaved wrongly. Then, I said, since I do not know what happened at the exact moment of the shooting or what happened right before that point in time, and it is hard to analyze the video with respect to distance and such, we should wait until the trial and let it be sorted out in court. I think I was the only person who said that and I got attacked for saying we should wait to see what the court decision is. I certainly thought that shooting looked more concerning than this one but I still am not sure exactly what happened because there is not a complete picture of the event.
We need to step back and allow the legal process to work but it seems we are presently hell bent on condemning all police as racists and psychos. If we keep that up, the only people that WILL apply for the job will be racists and psychos.
I completely agree Pat. Thank you
I concur!
At this point, I am closing all comments because I see retreading of the same ground over and over and mostly angry and antagonistic statements (condemning all whites, condemning all blacks, condemning me), and I haven't got the time to spend wading through all the muck to select the few intelligent and thoughtful comments. If you wish to continue the discussion, feel free to link to this post and do so on your own blog or FB page.
All lives matter, even police lives.
Regards,
Pat Brown
The Queen City just lost an officer in the line of duty. There is an insane amount of homicides going on in the city as well. Our city has a host of media outlets that want to create a racial tension as it makes for good press and ratings.
The officer may not have made stellar decisions but they are being viewed in hindsight and not by those who had someone acting suspiciously and starting the car when they were being questioned.
The after effects and upcoming case will not change the fact that Cincinnati is like the Jim Crowe south. Everyone here is very preoccupied with race. And no matter if this officer is hung out to dry or not, there is always a faction trying to create an us versuus them mentality. Both white and black people in this city do it, do not kid yourself.
I would hope that we can look at why our city is so violent that the officer felt so justified. This is a city where kindergarders are shot..two from the same class in less than a year. And just in the last 24 hours a 4 year old was shot in the head...
If there is a town that shows our nation is going to hell in the fast lane, it is my hometown.
I completely agree. I pray for the same. Thank you for your service.
Two days back, similar situation in Romania. White cop, middle eastern driver. Cop didnt react, has been dragged over 300 metres... He is in coma now, fighting for his life.
I dont see any hint of racism in the way the US cop reacted. He just saved his life.
PS: I am a white woman, married with an Indian man, we have two grown ups children. Have been teaching in multicultural environments for more than 20 years. I can recognise racist behaviour when I see it. No way this was the case here.
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