We now live in an age where society is being watched and recorded by any number of electronic devices.
Cell phones provide a video camera in your pocket, speed cameras enforce traffic laws and security surveillance cameras catch people in the act of various crimes.
With the world watching, getting away with a minor or major crime may be a thing of the past; a good thing when taking the recent shooting in South Carolina into account.
The South Carolina incident involved officer Michael Slager shooting Coast Guard veteran Walter Scott in the back eight times, while Scott was running away from Slager.
Other people in recent history were able to successfully claim the person they shot was attacking them, leading to an acquittal on the grounds of self-defense. George Zimmerman was found not guilty of the shooting of Trayvon Martin and Darren Wilson was also acquitted of any charges from the shooting death of Micheal Brown.
However, Slager sits behind bars, due to one fact, there’s video evidence of him shooting an unarmed man as he runs away from the officer.
This is one example of how our video age will change the way our world and justice system will work as more and more acts are captured on video.
Viewing the video, while not suggested for everyone, sheds light on why this police officer has been charged with murder. The video shows that Slager was in no real danger; especially since Scott was shot eight times as he ran several feet away from the officer before the first shot is fired.
While it’s justifiable that a person would shoot another if they felt threatened, it’s hard to understand why an officer of the law would continue to shoot an unarmed man in the back as he flees.