Shootout in South Carolina with video

[Turfspanker]

Eyewitness account here.

The cashier said, "Omar Brown came back to the counter and reached over him. Rivers turned around and said, 'Man, you know, you bumped me.' Brown said almost rudely, 'I said I'm sorry.' Rivers replied, 'You didn't say nothing.' So, Rivers turned back around for me to wait on him and Omar Brown walked off and he turned around and said, 'You ain't seen bumped me yet.'"

Thanks Lucky.

I stand correct and not ashamed. Its great to have more facts come to light. Obviously there was tension at the counter.

Note to self...just because I'm carrying doesn't give me the license to speak my mind to anyone.

[Will938]

Still, she's acting like the cop is the criminal. I like how she says the perp was returning fire to defend himself...glossing over the fact that he retreived a pistol and was moving to get the drop on the officer.

[phddan]

Man I wish I could see the video.

I've gotta wonder, if it was you or me instead of an officer, what would the opinion of the Solicitor be?

Dan

[ELB]

In terms of the basic morality of this encounter, I go with the cop over Mr. Greenshirt. However, if one wants to thrash around in the details, there's this:

Eyewitness account here.

The cashier said, "Omar Brown came back to the counter and reached over him. Rivers turned around and said, 'Man, you know, you bumped me.' Brown said almost rudely, 'I said I'm sorry.' Rivers replied, 'You didn't say nothing.' So, Rivers turned back around for me to wait on him and Omar Brown walked off and he turned around and said, 'You ain't seen bumped me yet.'"

But there's also this from the same article....

Officer Brown has told us he did not exchange words or bump Rivers in the store.

And as someone noted above, the store clerk seemed to overlook the fact that Mr. Greenshirt went to his car to get a gun and then approached the cop. She seems eager to blame the cop. If I were the cop's attorney, I would be eager to explore her attitudes about the police and how they might color her testimony.

New nit to pick over: If the cop had already paid for the softdrink and the twinkies (or whatever it was), which were still laying on the counter, why did Mr. Greenshirt get between the cop and his purchases?

Hmm, look what I ran across here:

Brown says he made his purchase, put an item back on the shelf and then reached around Rivers to grab his drink. That’s when the bump heard around the city happened.

http://www.abcnews4.com/news/stories/1007/464059.html

Did the clerk encourage Mr. Greenshirt to move up the counter even before the cop gathered up his stuff? If so, she might want to redirect attention away from her little contribution to the "tension" and to other details of the situation.

I guess this is why, if you are a halfway smart DA, you let the cops interview everybody and their brother, and watch all the video (unedited by the TV station), before making conclusions?

elb

[Paladin]

Interesting new info that does support the thought that Officer Brown could have handled the situation with a bit more tact.

But, all and all, Rivers still appears to be the thug who was going to shoot Officer Brown for accidentally brushing up against him.

[Keith B]

Maybe Officer Brown was having a bad day and could have been a little more polite. How many of us have had times when we've had a verbal tiff with someone in line or on the highway that did somethign that upset us?

If you think that gives some gansta or generic a reason to rise up, get his thumper and try a 187, then you be wacked!

[Turfspanker]

Many people are about 5 sentences away from putting another person 6 feet under. But since we are civilized, we use restraint.

Words can and do put people over the edge.

I stand behind Mr. Browns self-defensive action. But it appears he opened himself up to a confrontation.

I've done the same countless times and have fortunately avoided life threatening situations as the result.

[Photoman]

Eyewitness account here.

Thank you for the follow up Lucky45.

[Photoman]

Still, she's acting like the cop is the criminal. I like how she says the perp was returning fire to defend himself...glossing over the fact that he retreived a pistol and was moving to get the drop on the officer.

She said nothing of the sort. The cop shot first. The "perp" returned fire. That's what happened and that's what she said.

Yes the kid retreived a pistol and was moving to get the drop on the officer...who was patiently waiting in his car, gun in hand. The cop had plenty of time to leave.

[Lucky45]

Yes the kid retreived a pistol and was moving to get the drop on the officer...who was patiently waiting in his car, gun in hand. The cop had plenty of time to leave.

I don't fault the cop for staying put in his car. Like I said earlier, if he had tried to drive, the guy could have caught him with both hands on the wheel while driving out and fired into the car. Just good thinking by the cop and being aware of possible danger. I would have stayed put too until the other guy left.

[ELB]

Yes the kid retreived a pistol and was moving to get the drop on the officer...who was patiently waiting in his car, gun in hand. The cop had plenty of time to leave.

The COP had plenty of time to LEAVE?!? Why on earth do you want him to leave? He's a cop, not Joe Citizen! Some guy is wandering around the parking lot with a gun in his hand qualifies as a "suspected" bad guy, I sure as Hades hope a COP just doesn't drive off and leave Mr. Wanderer to his own devices! Arrest him, shoot him, whatever, but don't "leave."

For cryin' out loud. You are working way too hard to make the cop the bad guy here. Ain't gonna wash.

elb

[Charles L. Cotton]

Arrest him, shoot him, whatever, but don't "leave."

For cryin' out loud. You are working way too hard to make the cop the bad guy here. Ain't gonna wash.

elb

both points. I don't like rude people, COPs or not. But saying the LEO brought it on is like blaming the thug's mother for giving him birth. Before we even think of blaming someone for an event, we need to determine if the consequences of their actions were reasonably foreseeable. (Yeah, that’s a legal concept, but I think it’s also a reasonable moral concept as well.)

Chas.

[RubenZ]

For cryin' out loud. You are working way too hard to make the cop the bad guy here. Ain't gonna wash.

elb

I'm noticing that in Photomans posts as well.


Seriously. Maybe he got in his car, opened up his snacks or whatever and thats why he didn't leave right away. I mean seriously what the heck is the rush to have him leave.

And no offense, but judging by the speech of the cashier she doesn't sound like a cop lover either.

[kwf2006]

I am surprised that no-one has noticed the officers ND/AD!

[mr surveyor]

I am surprised that no-one has noticed the officers ND/AD!

I just went back and watched again... it does look like a round may have inadvertently bounced at about a 45° angle off the pavement