Former University of Cincinnati police officer, and white man, Ray Tensing was wearing a T-shirt featuring a Confederate flag under his police uniform at the time he fatally shot Sam DuBose, a black man. The shirt was part of the presentation of evidence Friday in the murder trial, according to USA Today.
The T-shirt was submitted as evidence during the testimony of Cincinnati police crime scene investigator Jimmy Nghia Duc Pham.
See the video below for body camera evidence from the incident.
A use-of-force expert also testified that Tensing’s decision to reach into DuBose’s vehicle and “knock out” the ignition key “was technically unsound.”
Post Falls, Idaho Police Chief Scot Haug, a recognized use-of-force expert, said DuBose did not pose a threat or serious harm to Tensing at the time he was fatally shot on July 19, 2015. Haug testified that U.S. law says a police officer can’t shoot a fleeing suspect unless there’s a threat of death or serious injury to officers or others.
Haug agrees that the officer is to blame for escalating the situation with his poor decision to reach into the vehicle.
Tensing’s attorney Stew Mathews asked Haug if he would agree the situation was tense, rapidly evolving and uncertain. Haug agreed, but said, “I think the officer, based on his decision at the time, escalated the situation and then reacted to that escalation.” He said DuBose was partially to blame for the escalation.
“There’s certainly not a bright line rule, every situation is a little different,” Haug said.
Was this racist police officer right to shoot Dubose? Or was this a racially based crime by the former officer? Do you believe he will be punished appropriately for what he did or will there be another case of white police officer privilege?