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Allen West Article - April 9, 2015

Excerpted taken from an article published by Allen B. West on April 9, 2015

(I don’t generally follow Mr. West or his politics, but his article today really hit home for me and I felt the need to agree and share. – Chief Scott, MRPD)

“As reported by NBC News, “A white police officer in North Charleston, South Carolina, was charged with murder after a cellphone video was released of him fatally shooting a black father of four in the back following a traffic stop. The release of the footage — which shows Officer Michael Slager fired eight times at Walter Scott — was praised by the 50-year-old victim’s family, who during a news conference said: “All we wanted was the truth.”

Officer Slager, 33, was arrested earlier by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and faces 30 years to life in prison or the death penalty if convicted, state officials said in a news release. He was being held without bond in the Charleston County Jail.”

This is a sad and tragic incident and having watched the complete video I can say there is NO excuse for what the police officer did in shooting Scott in the back. There is no excuse to shoot an unarmed person in the back, especially when you had their vehicle and knew their identity. A simple description and apprehension would have sufficed.

But we don’t need any speeches about police re-training. This was the action of one bad cop. Nor is it a reflection on the entire force. And I’m quite sure the North Charleston Police Department is angry about this incident as well, along with the tarnishing of their reputation to “Serve and Protect.”

Let us take the time to offer our condolences to the family of Walter Scott and maybe what should be done is establish a scholarship fund for his four children to attain what is sorely needed in the black community: better education opportunities.

At this time we need to once again focus on correcting that which ails the black community: strong families and economic growth. It pains me to know that for no apparent reason, four children will not have a dad at the Thanksgiving table.

This is a time where we can turn this tragedy into triumph. It’s a time when we can turn the page and not proliferate a victim mentality but advance the spirit of victors. Let us not allow those who would impart racial divisiveness to continue to drive a wedge in America to find a gap to exploit.

I pray this tragedy can strengthen the bonds between the North Charleston law enforcement officers and the community they serve. I am 54 and the death of Walter Scott serves to remind me once again just how blessed I have been in life.

And all lives matter.”

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