.jpg "Anthony Scott holds a photo of himself, center, and his brothers Walter Scott, left, and Rodney Scott, right, as he talks about his brother at his home near North Charleston, S.C., Wednesday, April 8, 2015. Walter Scott was killed by a North Charleston police officer after a traffic stop on Saturday.")
President Barack Obama’s senior adviser and several of South Carolina’s congressional lawmakers Wednesday denounced the shooting death of an unarmed African-American man by a white North Charleston, S.C., police officer as “devastating” and “deeply troubling.”
Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C. said “it is clear” that the killing of 50-year-old Walter Scott was “unnecessary and avoidable.”
“My prayers are with the Scott family as they go through this ordeal,” said the senator, who isn’t related to the victim.
Obama Senior Adviser Valerie Jarrett, speaking on “The Joe Madison Show” on Sirius/XM radio, said that the FBI has opened an investigation into the incident that occurred Saturday during a traffic stop. North Charleston police officer Michael Slager, 33 was charged with murder Tuesday evening.
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“I have to tell you, as a mom, it was just devastating to think of having to watch my child being just shot down like that,” Jarrett said.
The shooting, captured in a graphic video, follows high-profile cases in Ferguson, Mo., Cleveland, and New York and has rekindled the debate over use of force by law enforcement, particularly in incidents involving black men.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a potential 2016 presidential candidate, said the video “is very difficult to watch and deeply troubling on many fronts.”
“I have full confidence this incident will continue to be investigated by the relevant authorities, the legal process will proceed, and ultimately, justice will be done,” Graham said in a statement. “I also know the actions of the officer in this situation do not accurately reflect on the many valuable contributions made by thousands of law enforcement officers in South Carolina and our nation.”
Assistant Democratic Leader James Clyburn, D-S.C., the highest-ranking African-American in the House of Representatives, said on MSNBC’s “Andrea Mitchell Reports that he was “saddened” but “not surprised at the shooting.”
“This whole issue that police misconduct is an issue that all of us know is here and must be dealt with and we ought to stop making excuses and ought to stop holding – start holding people accountable for them because that’s all that’s going to be required for us to make this thing right,” Clyburn said.
Clyburn said he advises young people to keep their cell phone batteries charged and their camera/video recording devices at the ready.
“And don’t hesitate to turn them on when you see things happening that’s unbecoming or you think may cross the line because I think we are going to do more of this because I think that’s what it’s going to take for police officers to really think twice before pulling their weapons,” he said.
Meanwhile, Sen. Tim Scott called for calm in North Charleston Wednesday.
“With several protests planned today, I join community leaders in North Charleston in calling for peace,” the senator said. “I understand the hurt and the anger many are feeling today. But violence solves nothing.”
Email: wdouglas@mcclatchydc.com; Twitter: @williamgdouglas.
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