Charleston pastor Clementa fought for police body cameras

WASHINGTON (Sinclair Broadcast Group) - Following the shooting of Walter Scott by a North Charleston police officer in April, South Carolina state Senator Clementa Pinckney stepped up on the Senate floor to speak in support of legislation that called for the establishment and implementation of guidelines for the use of body cameras by the state’s law enforcement officers.

Scott’s fatal shooting by Officer Michael Slager was captured on camera by an eyewitness, and Pinckney emphasized the significance of that video to the public’s perception of the case. Slager has been indicted for murder in the shooting and is awaiting trial.

“We have a great opportunity to allow sunshine into this process,” Pinckney told his colleagues, “to at least give us new eyes for seeing so that we’re able to make sure that our proud and great law enforcement officers and every citizen that we represent is able to at least know that they will be seen and heard and that their rights will be protected.”

The legislation, which gained bipartisan support, passed and was signed by the governor on June 10.
“I think that speech is what made the difference in that bill passing,” state Senator Kevin Johnson said Friday.

http://www.carolinalive.com/news/story.aspx?id=1219865

To honor his memory, we should demand every state pass such a bill.

This would be a great step in exposing and eliminating racism in the police force.