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| Samuel DuBose killing: officer pleads not guilty as protesters focus on colleagues | Samuel DuBose killing: officer pleads not guilty as protesters focus on colleagues |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| The white former University of Cincinnati police officer who fatally shot an unarmed black man has pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and involuntary manslaughter, as questions swirl from protesters over the involvement of his colleagues who arrived at the scene of another officer-involved killing in the US. | The white former University of Cincinnati police officer who fatally shot an unarmed black man has pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and involuntary manslaughter, as questions swirl from protesters over the involvement of his colleagues who arrived at the scene of another officer-involved killing in the US. |
| Appearing stone-faced in a prison jumpsuit and handcuffs at his arraignment on Thursday, Ray Tensing was made subject to a $1m bond – to which an audience, including the family of Samuel DuBose, who was killed earlier this month after a routine traffic stop, erupted in clapping and cheers of “Yes, yes!” | Appearing stone-faced in a prison jumpsuit and handcuffs at his arraignment on Thursday, Ray Tensing was made subject to a $1m bond – to which an audience, including the family of Samuel DuBose, who was killed earlier this month after a routine traffic stop, erupted in clapping and cheers of “Yes, yes!” |
| The judge, Megan Shanahan, quickly quieted her court: “Ladies and gentlemen! This is a courtroom. You will conduct yourselves at all times!” | The judge, Megan Shanahan, quickly quieted her court: “Ladies and gentlemen! This is a courtroom. You will conduct yourselves at all times!” |
| Tensing, who was fired by the university after the announcement of the charges on Wednesday, uttered only three words during the brief hearing. In response to a question from the judge on whether he understood the charges – and that he potentially faces life in prison – he said only: “Yes, your honor.” | |
| Body-camera footage released by the Hamilton County prosecutor’s office shows Tensing, 25, firing on DuBose, 43, at close range after pulling him over for failing to have a front license plate. | Body-camera footage released by the Hamilton County prosecutor’s office shows Tensing, 25, firing on DuBose, 43, at close range after pulling him over for failing to have a front license plate. |
| Tensing claims to have been dragged by DuBose’s car and to have “feared for his life”. The prosecutor said his team believes Tensing “was not dragged”. | Tensing claims to have been dragged by DuBose’s car and to have “feared for his life”. The prosecutor said his team believes Tensing “was not dragged”. |
| Related: Samuel DuBose video appears to show two officers reinforced false account of police killing | Related: Samuel DuBose video appears to show two officers reinforced false account of police killing |
| A Guardian analysis of the body-cam footage, however, shows the aftermath of the shooting and reveals that on three occasions, two other police officers repeat Tensing’s account that he was dragged by DuBose, and one of the officers claims to have witnessed it occurring. | A Guardian analysis of the body-cam footage, however, shows the aftermath of the shooting and reveals that on three occasions, two other police officers repeat Tensing’s account that he was dragged by DuBose, and one of the officers claims to have witnessed it occurring. |
| The identity of this officer is not immediately clear. A copy of the University of Cincinnati police division’s information report on the shooting names university police officer Phillip Kidd as a witness to the entire event. | The identity of this officer is not immediately clear. A copy of the University of Cincinnati police division’s information report on the shooting names university police officer Phillip Kidd as a witness to the entire event. |
| A second body-cam video worn by another responder – identified by local media outlets as University of Cincinnati officer David Lindenschmit – was released by Tensing’s attorney, Stew Matthews, on Wednesday evening. | A second body-cam video worn by another responder – identified by local media outlets as University of Cincinnati officer David Lindenschmit – was released by Tensing’s attorney, Stew Matthews, on Wednesday evening. |
| The new video shows Lindenschmit moments after the shooting, according to Fox 19 of Cincinnati. He jumps out of his cruiser and runs to assist Tensing. Later in the video, Fox 19 reports, the group of officers yell “Stay back!” to a group of neighbors who eventually approach to inspect the scene. | The new video shows Lindenschmit moments after the shooting, according to Fox 19 of Cincinnati. He jumps out of his cruiser and runs to assist Tensing. Later in the video, Fox 19 reports, the group of officers yell “Stay back!” to a group of neighbors who eventually approach to inspect the scene. |
| When asked about the involvement of other officers in announcing the charges against Tensing, the Hamilton County prosecutor, Joseph Deters, said on Wednesday that his office was “looking at the issue” at the request of the DuBose family. | When asked about the involvement of other officers in announcing the charges against Tensing, the Hamilton County prosecutor, Joseph Deters, said on Wednesday that his office was “looking at the issue” at the request of the DuBose family. |
| But protesters at rallies organized by Black Lives Matter on Wednesday night said the responding officers should be held accountable – “because they knew”, as protester James Yaacov Delaney put it, that something was amiss. | But protesters at rallies organized by Black Lives Matter on Wednesday night said the responding officers should be held accountable – “because they knew”, as protester James Yaacov Delaney put it, that something was amiss. |
| “They knew and they had plenty of opportunities to change their story about what occurred and they didn’t,” Delaney said. | “They knew and they had plenty of opportunities to change their story about what occurred and they didn’t,” Delaney said. |
| Friends and family who spoke at the rallies echoed the push for investigations into more officers on the University of Cincinnati police force. | Friends and family who spoke at the rallies echoed the push for investigations into more officers on the University of Cincinnati police force. |
| “The officers who showed up at the scene should’ve arrested him … not cover it up,” said Anthony Lattermore, who said he was a lifelong friend of DuBose. | “The officers who showed up at the scene should’ve arrested him … not cover it up,” said Anthony Lattermore, who said he was a lifelong friend of DuBose. |
| Jerome Munighan, a local teacher, said Tensing’s decision to shoot, even though he had a body-cam running on his uniform, was simple: “He’s a murderer. That’s how a murderer would respond.” | Jerome Munighan, a local teacher, said Tensing’s decision to shoot, even though he had a body-cam running on his uniform, was simple: “He’s a murderer. That’s how a murderer would respond.” |
| The responding officers are “liars and they’re complicit for murder and they ought to be handled accordingly”, Munighan said. “Number one, they can start by dismissing them from their positions. And number two, if there’s criminal charges that can be brought against them: do that.” | The responding officers are “liars and they’re complicit for murder and they ought to be handled accordingly”, Munighan said. “Number one, they can start by dismissing them from their positions. And number two, if there’s criminal charges that can be brought against them: do that.” |
| Referring to Tensing, Cincinnati’s police chief, Jeffrey Blackwell, said on Wednesday that officers “have to be held accountable”. | Referring to Tensing, Cincinnati’s police chief, Jeffrey Blackwell, said on Wednesday that officers “have to be held accountable”. |
| Shanahan set Tensing’s bond at $1m; the former officer can post 10% of the total to be released from jail, an issue with which some family members and friends of DuBose took issue. Nonetheless, the circumstances of the proceedings – a swift indictment following the shooting on 19 July – represented something of a change in prosecuting police killings. | Shanahan set Tensing’s bond at $1m; the former officer can post 10% of the total to be released from jail, an issue with which some family members and friends of DuBose took issue. Nonetheless, the circumstances of the proceedings – a swift indictment following the shooting on 19 July – represented something of a change in prosecuting police killings. |
| Related: 'Senseless' and 'asinine': prosecutor's words on Samuel DuBose killing a win for reformers | Related: 'Senseless' and 'asinine': prosecutor's words on Samuel DuBose killing a win for reformers |
| Attorney Mark O’Mara, who represents the DuBose family, said the decision to set a bond at $1m suggests judges and prosecutors are “not deferring to officers quite as much as they have been in the past”. | Attorney Mark O’Mara, who represents the DuBose family, said the decision to set a bond at $1m suggests judges and prosecutors are “not deferring to officers quite as much as they have been in the past”. |
| “I think they’re realizing that when officers are defendants they’re defendants first,” O’Mara told the Guardian after the hearing. “And that’s the way they should be treated.” | “I think they’re realizing that when officers are defendants they’re defendants first,” O’Mara told the Guardian after the hearing. “And that’s the way they should be treated.” |
| Matthews, Tensing’s defense attorney, said the bond was “pretty extraordinary”. | Matthews, Tensing’s defense attorney, said the bond was “pretty extraordinary”. |
| “But that’s what the prosecutor asked for,” he said, adding that Tensing appears “very depressed”. | “But that’s what the prosecutor asked for,” he said, adding that Tensing appears “very depressed”. |
| Family and friends of DuBose stood nearby as Matthews spoke with reporters. They took issue with the attorney’s representation that Tensing feared for his life. | Family and friends of DuBose stood nearby as Matthews spoke with reporters. They took issue with the attorney’s representation that Tensing feared for his life. |
| The group briefly chanted a rallying cry that has been familiar following police killings in the US in the nearly one year since the death of 18-year-old Michael Brown in Missouri: “No justice, no peace.” | The group briefly chanted a rallying cry that has been familiar following police killings in the US in the nearly one year since the death of 18-year-old Michael Brown in Missouri: “No justice, no peace.” |