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University of Cincinnati Police Officer Charged For Fatally Shooting Unarmed Black Man
Yet another African-American man has lost his life at the hands of a police officer. Samuel DuBose, 43, was killed on July 19th from a shot to the head by 25-year-old University of Cincinnati Police Officer Ray Tensing. DuBose was pulled over for not having a front license plate and the officer spoke to him for less than three minutes before fatally shooting him in the head. The incident was caught on video by Tensing’s body camera.
Ex-University of Cincinnati cop Ray Tensing has pleaded not guilty to murder of Samuel DuBose. http://t.co/zs5IqjjiCs pic.twitter.com/BDnIpfcsoo
— New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) July 30, 2015
Tensing claimed that he was “dragged” by Dubose’s vehicle after the two entered into a physical altercation and was forced to shoot. Hamilton County prosecutor Joseph Deters said the body-camera evidence shows that Tensing’s claim was not true. Deters said:
It is our belief that he was not dragged. If you slow down this tape you see what happens, it is a very short period of time from when the car starts rolling to when a gun is out and he’s shot in the head.
Deters also stated Tensing purposely killed DuBose and that he should never have been a police officer. DuBose did not appear to be aggressive toward the officer despite the fact that Tensing told his lawyer, Stew Matthews, he feared he was going to run him over. After 12 Hamilton County citizens reviewed the evidence on Monday as part of their grand jury investigation into the incident, they decided he should be charged with murder. UC’s campus was shut down Wednesday in anticipation of the announcement. Due to the past events that happened when innocent men were killed by police in other states, Cincinnati police prepared for possible protests and asked neighborhood activists to help keep the peace. A small group of students and residents gathered for a peaceful rally and discussion in a UC public square and there was also a small rally at the courthouse. Cincinnati police chief Jeffrey Blackwell appeared at both rallies telling the crowd “I just want to encourage you guys to keep up the fight.”
At a press conference immediately after the announcement of charges, Samuel’s mother Audrey DuBose stated,
“I trust God, and I knew it was going to be alright. I knew that if this man [Tensing] went free, and nothing was done to him, it was because he was really a righteous man and he didn’t do nothing…But I knew that my son was a righteous man. I knew that my son had the same spirit that dwells in me, dwell in him. That’s how he was fed. So, if my son is righteous and he get killed, somebody had to be wicked here.”
After the indictment was announced, the university announced that Tensing had been fired. He is the first officer in Cincinnati to face murder charges for killing someone in the line of duty. Tensing has pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and involuntary manslaughter, but if he is convicted he will face 15 years to life in prison. The NAACP President Cornell William Brooks said the indictment is “encouraging” but it is just the beginning of a potentially long legal process.
The number of people killed by police in 2015 has already reached 664. During the first five months of this year 19 unarmed black men were shot and killed. People are angry, sad, and confused. Why are unarmed men who are not committing any type of crime being killed? Even with peaceful rallies, spreading awareness on social media, and occasional riots these killings are still happening frequently. It seems like there is not a month that goes by without someone having to say goodbye to the multiple people who are killed by the police. Everyone is wondering when the violence will end. More and more people are beginning to fear for their lives every time they have an encounter with law enforcement. We can only hope that this senseless violence will come to an end and that Tensing and other police officers will continue to be punished for the crimes they have committed.
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