Killer Pig who shot Samuel DuBose faces murder trial as city braces for protests...
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https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/oct/25/samuel-dubose-ray-tensing-trial-begins-police-fatal-shooting
Cincinnati officials expect renewed unrest during the trial of Ray Tensing, whose killing of an unarmed black man has been called ‘senseless’
The former University of Cincinnati police officer who fatally shot Samuel DuBose during a traffic stop for a missing license plate will face murder charges this week, as city officials and activists brace themselves for revived protests.
Ray Tensing shot and killed DuBose, an unarmed African American man, after pulling him over near the campus in July 2015.
An independent report found the shooting occurred as a result of “poor police tactics”, while the Hamilton county prosecutor said the officer’s actions were “senseless” and “asinine”.
Jury selection starts Tuesday in Tensing’s trial, with a rigorous process to whittle down a pool of 234 men and women to a few unbiased jurors. But Tensing’s lawyer, Stewart Mathews, says he is still waiting for the judge to rule on his motion to move the trial out of the city, where he doesn’t believe Tensing can get an unbiased trial.
Last summer, after the incident, residents protested for several days, with some arrests. And activists have mobilized to prepare to protest the trial.
Once a jury is seated, prosecutors are expected to rely heavily on a 28-minute video that shows Tensing firing a single gunshot point-blank to the head of DuBose, after a relatively calm exchange between the two quickly turned violent.
How video of the incident will play into the jury’s decision-making process is key, said Philip Stinson, a criminologist at Bowling Green State University.
He said this is one of several incidents in the past two years that has resulted in an officer being charged with murder solely because of a video recording.
“In each of these cases it appears that officers involved in on-duty shootings (1) often act in ways inconsistent with their law enforcement training, and (2) sometimes give statements after the shootings that are inconsistent with the video evidence,” Stinson said in an email. “That is what happened in the Tensing case.”
But Stinson said jurors tend to be reluctant to convict a police officer of murder.
“You can never predict what a jury is going to do when deliberating behind closed doors, but is does seem that juries are not willing to second-guess the split-second life-or-death decisions of a police officer when involved in a violent street encounter,” Stinson said. “They realize that policing is violent, and they are often willing to give the benefit of doubt to the officer who is on trial.”
Mathews has repeatedly said that Tensing feared for his life and thought he was being dragged by DuBose’s car. Two responding officers appeared to corroborate Tensing’s story on video footage later released, but Hamilton County prosecutor Joe Deters declined to charge the pair, saying they were “truthful and honest about what happened and no charges are warranted”.
Deters took a different view of Tensing. In his announcement to indict the officer, the prosecutor said that video footage wholly contradicted his account of being dragged by DuBose’s vehicle.
“If you slow down this tape, you see what happened,” Deters said last summer. “It is a very short period of time from when this car just slowly starts rolling that this gun is out and he’s shot in the head.” He added: “I think he was making an excuse for a purposeful killing of another person.”
Mathews said he expected to call Tensing to testify.
“He has an absolute right to testify and describe his version of what occurred,” Mathews said.
Among the disputes being resolved by the judge is whether to allow evidence of DuBose’s numerous run-ins with police – he has been charged more than 70 times for nonviolent crimes.
Mark O’Mara, an attorney who represented the DuBose family as it obtained a $5.3m settlement from the university this year, argued that the evidence would be irrelevant since Tensing wasn’t aware of his record, and it would be “attacking the victim of the crime”.
“My hope is that we’ll truly try the case on the facts of what happened that day and that alone,” O’Mara said.
He also pointed to Tensing’s own record as problematic. Records from the university show Tensing led the police department in number of stops and arrests, and 80% of the tickets he wrote were for black people.
O’Mara said the DuBose family has been “pensive” in the run-up to the trial.
“They’re glad that it’s finally come to task, that he’s going to be held responsible,” he said. “But they are concerned. There’ve been a lot of cases of shootings where the people who did the shooting were not held responsible.”
In order to convict Tensing, jurors would have to determine the shooting was unjustified and that the officer didn’t act in self-defense. O’Mara argues that even an interpretation of the video that is charitable to Tensing doesn’t meet that standard.
“Traditionally, you normally see a cop who at least alleges some justification for his use of force,” O’Mara said. “And in this case, you don’t see any. You see, in the light most favorable to Tensing, Sam is starting the car, maybe with the thought in Tensing’s mind that he was going to try and get away.”
“That event were it to happen is absolutely not a justification for use of deadly force under any state’s law, there’s just not,” he said.
Officials are also on high alert to prevent violence from breaking out, as it happened in 2001, following the fatal shooting of an unarmed black man by Cincinnati police. The city has met with numerous civil rights and faith-based groups in recent weeks.
“We will be trying to establish a sense of calm in the city,” Cincinnati city manager Harry Black said.
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The defense will push the "he was being dragged" lie into the ground. The video shows otherwise. No reason to shoot the man in the head.
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http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/memories-2001-race-riots-hang-police-shooting-trial-43171476Memories of 2001 Race Riots Hang Over Police Shooting Trial
Memories remain vivid of the 2001 race riots in this city after police killed a young, unarmed black man. Now, ahead of the trial of a white police officer who fatally shot an unarmed black man in a traffic stop, police are beefing up security and say they're prepared for anything, while officials and civic leaders are trying to stay in front of community tensions.
Prospective jurors will be questioned Monday for Ray Tensing's trial on murder and voluntary manslaughter charges in the shooting of Sam DuBose after he was pulled over July 19, 2015, near the University of Cincinnati for a missing front license plate.
Tensing's attorney has said he feared for his life; the Hamilton County prosecutor has called the shooting, which was recorded by the officer's bodycam video, senseless and "asinine."
"None of us want to revisit 2001," The Cincinnati Enquirer stated in a recent editorial in which the newspaper said it was encouraged by the steps taken by the city, the University of Cincinnati and others. The Black Lawyers Association and city councilwoman Yvette Simpson, for example, have held educational community forums to explain the legal process unfolding in the case.
"These trials can be emotional in nature, and we're just trying to be proactive and somewhat pre-emptive at the same time," City Manager Harry Black said at a recent meeting of city officials.
There have been city police reforms since 2001, including more training, community engagement and transparency, that have drawn national praise, and University of Cincinnati officials recently outlined changes including restructuring its public safety department after the shooting, which took place near campus. The school fired Tensing, 26, from its police force after his indictment.
The 2001 riots were sparked by the fatal shooting of 19-year-old Timothy Thomas, who was wanted on misdemeanor warrants and was fleeing from police. Hundreds of people were arrested in the several days of violent unrest that caused millions of dollars in damage.
The DuBose shooting is among a series of cases nationwide over the last two years that have increased attention to how U.S. police interact with black people.
In another of the cases, jury selection begins Monday in the murder trial of former North Charleston, South Carolina, police officer Michael Slager, who is white, in the April 2015 death of Water Scott, a black man shot in the back as he ran from a traffic stop.
In Cincinnati, the activist group Black Lives Matter plans a demonstration Monday.
The sheriff's department has increased security at the courthouse. Officials say they will support the right to peaceful protest but are ready if reactions turn violent.
"It is our job to prepare for any worst-case scenario, and we certainly are prepared for that," Sheriff's Maj. Charmaine McGuffey told reporters at a briefing about trial preparations.
The first steps in jury selection began Tuesday without major complications. Three people authorities said were disruptive were escorted out of the proceedings, but there were no arrests.
Ministers from a variety of churches and civic activists formed a prayer circle outside and called for justice and peace.
Musician Darius Clay, 25, who said he had worked on rap music with DuBose, joined them in prayer. He said he hopes others who knew DuBose, 43, will make their presence known during the trial as they hope for a murder conviction.
"We need justice for what's going on," said Clay. "We're going to remain as peaceful as we can, but we're going to do everything we can to make sure there is justice." -
inb4 time served
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Marching and burning R old news, hope we don't go that route again. Vote out the top authority. Not spending is the loudest voice but we ain't there yet. Good luck.
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http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2016/10/26/tensing-says-attorney-scared-death-depressed/92780374/Attorney says Tensing is 'depressed,' 'scared to death'
As former University of Cincinnati Police Officer Ray Tensing's murder trial gets underway, his lawyer said Tensing is "scared to death," and "depressed."
Stew Mathews added "in a sense (Tensing) is glad the trial is finally underway and he will get some resolution."
Mathews made the comments Wednesday outside a court hearing about what evidence can be presented at trial. Reporters asked Mathews how his client was doing.
Tensing, dressed in a suit, with freshly cut hair, attended the hearing, but did not speak. He was escorted in and out of the courtroom by security.
Tensing, a former University of Cincinnati police officer, is facing a charge of murder in the fatal shooting of Sam DuBose, which happened during a July 2015 traffic stop. The charge carries a potential life sentence. Tensing was fired after being charged last year. He has remained free on a $1 million bond.
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http://www.wave3.com/story/33517990/lawyers-urge-jurors-to-set-race-aside-in-police-shooting2 blacks, 10 whites on jury in traffic stop police shooting
CINCINNATI (AP) - A jury of two blacks and 10 whites was seated on Monday for the murder trial of a white University of Cincinnati police officer who fatally shot an unarmed black man during a traffic stop last year.
The jury, with two black women, four white women and six white men, was chosen after a day of questioning by attorneys who urged jury candidates to put aside race, news stories and police perceptions for the case of now-fired officer Ray Tensing.
"This case is not about the color of any man's skin that's involved in the case," defense attorney Stewart Mathews said. "It's about the facts."
The two sides will make their opening statements on Tuesday after jurors are taken by bus to view the scene where Tensing killed Sam DuBose on July 19, 2015.
Hamilton County Judge Megan Shanahan told the jurors not to read or watch news media coverage and to take "a welcome vacation" from the Internet and social media during the trial. Four white women were added as alternate jurors.
The trial and one that began Monday in Charleston, South Carolina, for another white former police officer facing a murder charge for the shooting of a black man are among cases over the last two years that have increased attention to how black people are treated by police in the United States. The two shootings occurred after traffic stops.
Mathews said a missing front license plate wasn't the primary reason Tensing pulled DuBose over near campus, calling it "a more serious situation than that."
He also emphasized that Tensing is presumed innocent. He objected after assistant prosecutor Rick Gibson said Tensing had "admitted in a taped interview" with police investigators that he purposely killed DuBose. The two sides then met in chambers with the judge.
Gibson said almost every juror has some knowledge of the case, which prompted protests in the city. But he said knowing about the case wasn't a problem, as long as jurors followed the law and decided the case based on the evidence.
Both sides asked potential jurors about a widely viewed video from Tensing's body-worn camera and warned it and other evidence are graphic. Mathews said the video doesn't show the angle the officer was viewing nor "what the person wearing that camera perceives in his brain or feels in his gut."
Tensing's attorney has said he feared for his life as DuBose tried to drive off. Tensing, who could face up to life in prison if convicted of murder, took notes and sipped bottled water at the defense table. He also is charged with voluntary manslaughter.
The University of Cincinnati fired him after his indictment and overhauled its public safety department.
The judge said she expects the trial to end by Nov. 18.
Eighty-five people were summoned Monday from a jury pool of nearly 200. The pool members last week filled out 25-page questionnaires asking what they knew about the case and their perceptions of police and the courts and about some related topics such as the Black Lives Matter group.
Members of the activist group were among dozens of people demonstrating outside the courthouse Monday.
The judge assured the potential jurors of safeguards for their anonymity, including her order to news media not to name them or show them in photos or on video.
I'm not like the fact that 10 saltines(plus four alternate saltines) got selected while only 2 black women got selected.. Those aren't good odds... -
If there were more ? on that jury.. This racist pig would already be done.. But I'm sure that the saltines on jury will somehow find a way to give him a pass on wearing that confederate terrorist flag shirt... -
http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2016/11/03/audrey-dubose-thanks-community-rebuilding-sams-memorial/93265954/Audrey DuBose thanks community for rebuilding Sam's memorial
As dusk turned to dark, the light from dozens of candles burned brighter Thursday night on the corner of Rice and Valencia streets in Mount Auburn.
About half of those candles had been placed around a telephone pole, where Sam DuBose's car came to a stop after he had been shot by a former University of Cincinnati police officer. The jury in the murder trial of Ray Tensing had viewed the scene Tuesday morning, prompting the court to order the memorial's removal the night before.
A community gathering Thursday night at the site was billed as a rebuild.
Participants brought candles, stuffed animals, photographs of DuBose and one ceramic angel.
Audrey DuBose, Sam's mother, spoke twice to the couple of dozen people who'd gathered.
"Thank you for building this back up in the name of my son, Samuel Vincent DuBose," she said. She has been in court every day. Her voice quivering, she added, "He was a beautiful person."
Of the memorial to her son, she said "it means a lot."
Audrey DuBose thanked Black Lives Matter and other supporters in her public remarks and in comments to reporters.
"Even when I stop, they don't," she said. "They are still out there fighting for justice."
Black Lives Matter: Cincinnati and the other organizations in the Countdown to Conviction Coalition sponsored the rebuild. Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters said Tuesday that such memorials at crime scenes are removed in order to give jurors a neutral look at the site.
Black Lives Matter and some community members said the family should have been notified before the removal, and that the items at the site should have been returned.
"On Monday, the city said they could ? us and still whip us when we cry," said Ashley Harrington, Black Lives Matter steering committee co-chair. "They destroyed where the family and community members had mourned, as if they could erase him and erase us."
Despite confrontational language and imagery from Harrington and fellow steering committee co-chair Brian Taylor, the event took on a spiritual dimension, especially as night fell.
Taylor said he doubted if any of the jurors had ever been in this area of Mount Auburn before vans with tinted windows brought them there.
In her remarks, Yvonne DuBose Lackey, Sam's aunt, quoted Psalm 121 and thanked the public for its support. A cappella, she sang a verse of the spiritual "There is Power in the Name of Jesus."
Lackey held her sister's arm and stayed by her side throughout the 90-minute ceremony. Audrey DuBose urged the community not to resort to violence, even if the jury returns a not-guilty verdict for Tensing.
"He won't go free," she said. "He will reap for what he did. It's going to be OK. I know the Lord and been knowing him for a long time. Nobody gets away with nothing they do." -
Hmmm. Something is very peculiar about all these cop trials happening at once. Sounds very covert. Becareful out here bruhs.
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http://www.thecourierexpress.com/news/national_world/the-latest-activist-group-criticizes-jury-s-racial-makeup/article_56f8c428-c59e-598b-a70c-4e3a10a3647b.htmlCivil rights activists are criticizing the racial makeup of the jury seated for the murder trial of a white University of Cincinnati police officer who fatally shot an unarmed black man.
The Black Lives Matter: Cincinnati group posted a message on its Facebook page stating that the jury seated shows a justice system that "continues to refuse to recognize the prejudices and racism" in existence. Members of the group plan to keep up demonstrations outside the Hamilton County courthouse during Ray Tensing's trial.
Two blacks, both women, were seated Monday for the 12-person jury that has six white men and four white women. Four white females were selected as the alternates. The 2010 U.S. Census put Cincinnati's black population at nearly 45 percent of the city's total.
The since-fired officer has pleaded not guilty to murder and voluntary manslaughter counts in the 2015 shooting of Sam DuBose. -
http://www.dailychiefunion.com/statenews/critics-question-ohios-requirements-for-prospective-jurors-in-trial-cases/Critics question Ohio’s requirements for prospective jurors in trial cases
CINCINNATI (AP) — As jurors begin hearing a racially charged police shooting case in Cincinnati, some critics say it’s time to change Ohio’s requirement of potential jurors being registered to vote.
Ohio is one of just two states that populates its jury pool strictly through voter registration records, The Cincinnati Enquirer reported. A majority of states draw from both voter registration and driver’s license records.
Leaders of Cincinnati’s black community are concerned that using only registered voters creates racial disparity in selecting juries.
“Using just voter registration has not been helpful enough to come up with diverse jury pools,” said state Sen. Cecil Thomas, a Cincinnati Democrat. “There is a tremendous amount of opportunity to control and manipulate juries.”
Black Lives Matter activists based in Cincinnati were critical of the jury seated Monday for the murder trial of a white former police officer charged in the fatal shooting of an unarmed black man. They said on their Facebook page that the jury of only two black females and no black males does not reflect Cincinnati’s population. The 2010 census reported that nearly 45 percent of the city’s population is black.
A study conducted by Duke University researchers in 2012 found that a diverse jury pool eliminates racial gaps in conviction rates.
“The whole point is for the master jury list to be as inclusive as possible,” said Greg Hurley, a senior analyst with the National Center for State Courts.
The first of six recommendations made by “The Report of the Ohio Commission on Racial Fairness” was to expand the state’s jury selection process. No changes have been made in that regard since the report was first issued in 1999.
Cincinnati civil rights lawyer Al Gerhardstein brought attention to the issue at the Ohio Bar Association’s spring meeting. He is part of the legal team representing the family of the slain black motorist, Sam DuBose.
“We’re very late,” Gerhardstein said. “It’s very important. There’s a fire under many people to get this changed.”
DuBose was fatally shot by since-fired University of Cincinnati officer Ray Tensing during a July 2015 traffic stop.
Tensing has pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and voluntary manslaughter in DuBose’s death. Tensing’s attorney has said his client feared for his life. The jury seated has two blacks and 10 whites, with four white women as alternates.
“When the jury looks like the community, it helps to maintain the rule of law and public trust in the process,” said Thaddeus Hoffmeister, a professor at the University of Dayton School of Law. -
http://www.wcpo.com/news/local-news/hamilton-county/cincinnati/ray-tensing-was-wearing-a-confederate-flag-t-shirt-under-uniform-when-he-shot-sam-duboseSam DuBose's family condemns Ray Tensing for wearing Confederate flag T-shirt during fatal shooting
Mother, sister say former officer is evil to core
CINCINNATI -- Finding out that Ray Tensing was wearing a Confederate flag T-shirt when he shot and killed Sam DuBose brought out more pain and condemnation from the DuBose family Friday.
DuBose's sister and mother said it convinced them that Tensing is "evil" to the core.
"I already knew Tensing was a murderer, but now I just thought, clearly, something's wrong with his spirit. That was my reaction. Something was wrong with his spirit," said DuBose's sister, Terina Allen.
"That's evil there."
"Anytime a man will take a gun out and shoot another human being the way he shot my son - I think he was a wicked, evil man," DuBose's mother, Andrea DuBose said.
The black T-shirt was presented in evidence in Tensing's murder trial Friday morning, and a photo of it shown during testimony blew up social media with strong opinions.
Many agreed with DuBose's family, saying the flag represents racism and hatred. Others disputed that, saying it represents Southern pride. Some pointed that out DuBose's shirt appeared to be a souvenir from the Great Smoky Mountains (the 1934 stands for the year the national park there was established). They speculated Tensing bought it on vacation and it might hold no other significance to him.
Other University of Cincinnati officers had testified that they were required to wear black T-shirts under their uniform during the summer – and that officers had to provide their own. Tensing shot DuBose during a traffic stop on July 19, 2015.
City council member PG Sittenfeld criticized the T-shirt and Tensing's choice to wear it on the job.
Allen wasn't ready to accept any excuses.
"Why is he wearing a Confederate flag when he's a police officer? I don't think it represents anything except blacks are not equal in this country or slavery should never have been abolished, and he's wearing it while he executes a black man," she said.
Tensing must know that the Confederate flag is offensive to blacks, said Bishop Bobby Hilton of Word of Deliverance Ministries, who was in the courtroom.
"Apparently, he doesn't care much for African-Americans because he knows that is something that offends black people," Hilton said. "Why would I put something on that is offensive to another?
Hilton said he was just starting to feel sorry for Tensing after three days of testimony when the T-shirt came to light.
"I was feeling really bad for Mr. Tensing figuring he just made a horrible error, but when I saw that .that took my mindset to a whole different place," Hilton said.
Ohio State Sen. Cecil Thomas, a former Cincinnati police officer, was also in court and said he was stunned.
"The fact that it's a Confederate flag that you hid is your mindset underneath that shirt. That speaks volumes as to what kind of officer [he is]," Thomas said.
Rodney Harris of the Hamilton County public defender's office says he wonders what the jury will think of Tensing from now on.
"I think it gives them a reason not to like him," Harris said. -
stringer bell wrote: »http://www.wcpo.com/news/local-news/hamilton-county/cincinnati/ray-tensing-was-wearing-a-confederate-flag-t-shirt-under-uniform-when-he-shot-sam-dubose
Tensing must know that the Confederate flag is offensive to blacks, said Bishop Bobby Hilton of Word of Deliverance Ministries, who was in the courtroom.
"Apparently, he doesn't care much for African-Americans because he knows that is something that offends black people," Hilton said. "Why would I put something on that is offensive to another?
Hilton said he was just starting to feel sorry for Tensing after three days of testimony when the T-shirt came to light.
"I was feeling really bad for Mr. Tensing figuring he just made a horrible error, but when I saw that .that took my mindset to a whole different place," Hilton said.
Leave it to a damn black ass preacher to get his ? on. These preaching ass negroes just cant help themselves. The video of officer swine shooting an unarmed man in the head didnt take his "mindset to a whole different place" but a damn t-shirt did. Smmfh. These ? are natural born Tom's. foh -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5jc9VCOEow
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6T09a844pk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBX4snd7Crs
That killer pig brought out the white tears along with the "I was in fear" excuse... -
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2016/11/08/tensing-testifies-in-own-defense/93514550/Tensing testifies he feared being run over by Sam DuBose before shooting
CINCINNATI — For the first time in more than 15 months, the community heard Tuesday morning from Ray Tensing.
The former University of Cincinnati police officer testified in his defense. Responding to questions from his attorney, Tensing told of his desire to protect and serve before finally going into detail about the fatal traffic stop he made at 6:20 p.m. July 19, 2015, on a Mount Auburn Street.
Tensing, pausing to fight back tears, at times even weeping, told of how he fired a single shot at the head of Sam DuBose because Tensing feared DuBose was trying to run him over.
For Audrey DuBose, Sam DuBose's mother, the testimony was too much to bear.
At a break, she left the courtroom and walked outside of the Hamilton County Courthouse on Main Street, where she joined about a dozen Black Lives Matter demonstrators. For a few minutes, she stood in a short line, holding a cardboard sign that read, "Justice for Sam DuBose."
Asked for her reaction to Tensing's testimony, she said, "Sick."
Then she went silent for several seconds.
"Just sick."
Audrey DuBose has appeared at dozens of public events in the last 15 months, many of them with Black Lives Matter: Cincinnati. She has made herself available to the media. Onlookers have marveled at her grace and eloquent reliance on her Christian faith.
Tuesday, her anger showed.
"Like he was the one murdered," she said. "Like it was done to him. It's my son who's dead. Not him."
Audrey DuBose hugged a few of the Black Lives Matter members — including Brian Taylor — she has gotten to know over the past several months. Then she walked away from the courthouse. She'd had her fill.
Taylor had bought a box of doughnuts for demonstrators. As cold rain started to fall, they slid cardboard signs into a large plastic bag.
Taylor, one of Black Lives Matter: Cincinnati's steering committee co-chairs, said he'd followed the Tensing testimony in the live Internet feed.
"Despite the facts displayed in the body (camera) video, they were trying to argue the weight of his perception," Taylor said of Tensing. "He was coached. He used extreme terms to describe the alleged movement of the car, words like `rocketed' and `smashed.' "
Taylor said the defense's approach is common in police brutality cases. Tensing said he fired the fatal shot to DuBose's head because DuBose was attempting to ? Tensing with his car by running over him.
"It's not new," Taylor said. "They try to make the aggressor the victim and the victim the aggressor."
Several of Sam DuBose's family members have been in the courtroom throughout the trial. DaShonda Reid, Sam DuBose's fiancée, to whom he proposed two days before his death, said she and many of his relatives felt good about the case. The defense rested Tuesday. Closing arguments are scheduled for Wednesday morning.
"We feel very strong and confident about a conviction," Reid said later Tuesday in a phone interview.
She and other family members have complimented the work of the prosecution team, headed by Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters, who cross-examined Tensing on Tuesday. Reid said Deters poked holes in Tensing's story and exposed contradictions between his testimony and bodycam footage.
Under his uniform the day he shot DuBose, Tensing had on a black tourist T-shirt bearing the Confederate flag. Nearly 75% of the individuals he arrested were black, higher than any other UC officer, per Enquirer analysis of statistics provided by UC.
"You've seen the overwhelming amount of evidence," Reid said. "We have a lying, racist defendant." -
stringer bell wrote: »
If there were more ? on that jury.. This racist pig would already be done.. But I'm sure that the saltines on jury will somehow find a way to give him a pass on wearing that confederate terrorist flag shirt...
http://www.whas11.com/news/nation/cop-who-shot-unarmed-black-man-said-he-feared-being-run-over-talks-about-confederate-flag-shirt/350349207Cop who shot unarmed black man said he feared being run over, talks about confederate flag shirt
(ABC News)-- A former University of Cincinnati police officer who shot and killed an unarmed black man during a traffic stop turned violent testified today on his own behalf, refuting claims that a T-shirt he wore with the Confederate flag had personal meaning to him.
Ray Tensing spoke while on trial for the fatal shooting that happened in July 2015. Then a police officer hired by the university, he pulled driver Sam DuBose over near the campus. Tensing claims that he shot DuBose fearing for his own life.
Tensing, 26, lost his job after the shooting death and was charged with murder and voluntary manslaughter. He has pleaded not guilty.
Tensing appeared calm on the witness stand and answered the questions that were asked of him with an air of deference.
He said that a relative had bought the confederate flag T-shirt for him and that he wore it under his uniform because had to to wear a black T-shirt.
"It has no meaning to me," Tensing said about the shirt. "It was in the laundry basket, I threw it on, and never thought about it."
A photo of a black T-shirt emblazoned with an image of the Confederate flag and the words "Great Smoky Mountains" was presented by the prosecution earlier at Tensing's trial during testimony by a crime scene technician, ABC affiliate WCPO in Cincinnati reported.
Tensing later became emotional when describing the events that led up to the shooting of DuBose and started to cry on the stand.
He said that his "adrenaline was running so fast" as the encounter took place.
Asked whether it was "his purpose to ? " DuBose, Tensing stifled a cry.
"No, sir," he said.
Tensing said his arm was stuck in the car and the car was turning toward him during the encounter.
"I remember thinking, 'Oh my ? , he's going to run me over and he's going to ? me,'" Tensing said while on the stand, the Associated Press reported.
An expert defense witness testified on Tuesday that a frame-by-frame analysis of the body cam video shows Tensing was justified in fearing for his life because his body was "violently twisted" during the confrontation, according to the AP.
The trial is taking place at the same time as another high profile police shooting, that of former North Charleston Officer Michael Slager, on trial in the fatal shooting of Walter Scott in April of 2015. Michael Slager has pleaded not guilty to murder. -
http://wtvbam.com/news/articles/2016/nov/09/ex-cincinnati-cop-scared-to-death-during-shooting-lawyer/Ex-Cincinnati cop 'scared to death' during shooting: lawyer
By Ginny McCabe
CINCINNATI (Reuters) - A former University of Cincinnati police officer charged with murdering a black Ohio man during a traffic stop was acting in self-defense and is not a racist, his lawyer said on Wednesday.
Body camera video of the July 2015 stop showed officer Ray Tensing, 26, who is white, shot Samuel DuBose, 43, in the head after pulling him over for a missing front license plate on his vehicle. The entire incident lasted a few minutes.
The killing fueled demonstrations against use of lethal force by white officers against unarmed blacks and other minorities, which has been the focus of nationwide protests.
"When they (police) are threatened, they have the right to protect themselves and that is what Ray Tensing was doing that day," Tensing's lawyer, Stew Mathews, said during closing arguments in the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas in Cincinnati.
"He (Tensing) was scared to death," Mathews added.
The jury headed into deliberations on Wednesday afternoon following closing arguments. Around a dozen protesters gathered outside the court calling for justice for DuBose.
Prosecutors tried to bring race into the trial, Mathews said, by focusing on a shirt Tensing was wearing under his uniform, which featured a picture of the Confederate flag. But Mathews said on Wednesday his client was not a racist. Tensing said the shirt was a gift and the flag has no meaning to him.
Tensing asked DuBose to take off his seatbelt and tried to open the car door, but DuBose did not comply and closed the door. The vehicle started rolling forward slowly as Tensing pulled his gun and fired once.
The trial was overly focused on Tensing and was not critical enough of the role DuBose played in the altercation, Mathews said.
DuBose was "hell bent," on getting away from Tensing because he was carrying marijuana and cash, Mathews told the court.
The prosecution countered on Wednesday that Tensing's retelling of events was false and his life was never in danger, reiterating a position they held throughout the trial.
"Does the physical evidence support him being dragged? Absolutely not. Do the eyewitnesses? Absolutely not," said assistant prosecutor Mark Piepmeier.
Tensing said on Tuesday he feared being dragged under DuBose's car or being pinned against a nearby guard rail.
If convicted, Tensing, who pleaded not guilty to murder, could be sentenced to life imprisonment. -
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/latest-closing-arguments-underway-officers-trial-43416781No Verdict yet in Ohio Police Shooting Trial
Jurors have wrapped up deliberations for the day without reaching a verdict in the Ohio murder trial of a white police officer who fatally shot an unarmed black man after a traffic stop.
Hamilton County Judge Megan Shanahan is sequestering jurors Wednesday evening, and they will resume deliberating Thursday morning in the trial of Ray Tensing, a now-fired University of Cincinnati police officer. The jury is made up of 10 whites and two blacks.
Both sides made their closing arguments earlier Wednesday.
Prosecutor Joe Deters says "the evidence is overwhelming" that Sam DuBose's shooting was unjustified. Defense attorney Stewart Mathews says the 26-year-old Tensing was in "sheer terror" when he shot the 43-year-old DuBose near campus in July 2015.
The trial moved quickly. The jury was seated Oct. 31.
http://www.wcpo.com/news/local-news/hamilton-county/cincinnati/mutliple-law-enforcement-agencies-to-assemble-readying-for-tensing-verdictRay Tensing trial: Multiple law enforcement agencies to assemble, readying for Tensing verdict
CINCINNATI -- In anticipation of closing arguments and deliberations in Ray Tensing's murder trial, the Cincinnati-Hamilton County Regional Emergency Operations Center will activate Wednesday morning.
The interagency and inter-jurisdictional team will gather near the Hamilton County Courthouse at the request of the city of Cincinnati, according to sources within the Cincinnati Police Department and the American Red Cross - Greater Cincinnati Area Chapter.
Testimony wrapped Tuesday with Tensing's own stint on the witness stand. The former University of Cincinnati officer stuck to his initial account of the Mt. Auburn traffic stop in 2015 that ended in the shooting death of Sam DuBose. Tensing is on trial for murder and aggravated manslaughter in DuBose's death.
The ROC assembles for many events throughout the region, including the All-Star Game in 2015, Oktoberfest and more. The coalition would also assemble in the case of natural disasters.
"We do not anticipate any issues related to the Tensing verdict, however due to the high profile nature of the case we are standing up the EOC, which is something we always do in such instances," City Manager Harry Black said. "The EOC is merely one tool in our public safety toolkit that we rely on frequently to monitor and guide our decision making." -
stringer bell wrote: »https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5jc9VCOEowhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6T09a844pkhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBX4snd7Crs
That killer pig brought out the white tears along with the "I was in fear" excuse...
Liar! We can see the video. All he had to do was take a step back. There was no "dragging" about to happen -
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/jury-deliberations-resume-ohio-police-shooting-trial-43436096Authorities, Schools on Alert as Cincinnati Awaits Verdict
Authorities were on alert and school officials took precautions Thursday as jurors deliberated for a second day in the murder trial of a white police officer who said he feared for his life before fatally shooting an unarmed black man during a traffic stop last year.
At least two Roman Catholic schools in Cincinnati were closed and a Cincinnati Public Schools spokeswoman said the district was in "constant communication" with authorities in anticipation of a verdict in the trial of Ray Tensing.
The fired University of Cincinnati police officer said he was being dragged by Sam DuBose's car when DuBose tried to drive away after being stopped for a missing front license plate on July 19, 2015. Prosecutors want jurors to conclude the 26-year-old Tensing "purposely" killed him.
Police and emergency response agencies activated their regional operations center to monitor and share information about any violence. Cincinnati police on Thursday sent an advisory to downtown businesses urging them to review their emergency plans and monitor trial developments.
Ahead of trial, city officials met with civil rights and faith leaders. The city was hit by riots in 2001 after the fatal police shooting of an unarmed black youth.
The case has attracted demonstrators, including Black Lives Matter activists, outside the Hamilton County courthouse, and is among others across the nation that have raised debate about how police treat black people.
Jurors resumed deliberations Thursday after being sequestered overnight by Hamilton County Judge Megan Shanahan following more than four hours of jury deliberations Wednesday.
They also have the option of convicting Tensing of voluntary manslaughter, meaning he killed the 43-year-old man in a fit of rage or sudden passion after being provoked.
The prosecution said evidence including Tensing's own body camera video contradicted his story of being dragged by DuBose's car.
"The video is the ultimate witness ... this video exposes Tensing's lies," Prosecutor Joe Deters said during closing arguments.
He said Tensing and his lawyer became "almost comical with their word games," calling shooting DuBose "stopping the threat" and saying he "perceived to be dragged."
But defense attorney Stewart Mathews insisted Tensing was trying to keep from being run over.
"He was in sheer terror," Mathews told jurors. "The evidence is very clear that a car can be just as deadly as a gun or knife."
He said prosecutors tried to use race as "a smokescreen." They pointed to the "Great Smoky Mountains" T-shirt with a Confederate flag on it that Tensing was wearing under his uniform worn that day. Mathews said it had "no evidentiary value."
Deters told jurors on Wednesday that "emotions are high," but they must decide based on the facts.
Tensing wept on the stand Tuesday. He said his arm was stuck in DuBose's car at the time and the car was turning toward him.
Deters asked Tensing about an outside report that eight out of every 10 drivers that Tensing pulled over for traffic stops were black, the highest rate of any University of Cincinnati officer.
Tensing said he was often unaware of a driver's race, did not single people out unfairly and wasn't racist.
Witnesses testified that DuBose had significant amounts of marijuana and cash on him, which Mathews described as a reason why he was desperate to flee. -
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2016/11/11/ray-tensing-samuel-dubose-trial/93651950/Judge instructs jury to return to deliberations in Tensing trial
CINCINNATI — Jurors deliberating in the murder trial of former University of Cincinnati Police Officer Ray Tensing Friday evening asked the judge presiding over the case for a definition of "arrest."
Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Megan Shanahan told jurors they have all they need to reach a verdict and sent them back to the jury room to resume deliberations.
Deliberations have been ongoing since Wednesday and earlier Friday the jury indicated to the judge they could not reach an agreement on the murder charge or the voluntary manslaughter charge Tensing faces. Shanahan sent them back to deliberations following that exchange as well.
Tensing fatally shot Sam DuBose during a traffic stop in Mount Auburn on July 19, 2015. The key contention between the defense and the prosecution in the trial has been whether Tensing was dragged by DuBose's vehicle before he fired the fatal shot into DuBose's head.
Shanahan instructed them to return to the jury room and continue trying to reach a decision in the case against Ray Tensing.
“It’s desirable that the case be decided,” Shanhan said, reading a set of instructions given when a jury is unable to decide on a verdict. She encouraged jurors to “reexamine” their views and positions.
If a hung jury is ultimately declared, meaning they are hopelessly deadlocked, prosecutors would have to decide whether to re-try Tensing or drop the charges. Prosecutors have never said what they would do in the event of a hung jury.
DaShonda Reid, DuBose's fiancee, was outside the courthouse when the announcement was made that jurors were deadlocked. A Black Lives Matter member, a white woman, told Reid she admired her grace and said she was "with her family."
Reid responded: "It's the strength of all my ancestors coming through me." Still, she said, "It's obvious to me there are people in there who are blind to justice."
About 75 people gathered outside the courthouse, 50 with Black Lives Matter: Cincinnati. News of the deadlocked jury was greeted by shouts of anger and small prayer groups. Some even cried.
Brian Taylor, part of the Black Lives Matter group's steering committee, said he wasn't surprised.
"There is tension out here," Taylor said. He pledged a demonstration Friday regardless of the decision.
Reid urged calm and restraint.
"This is not the time for violence; not the time," she said.
Three of Tensing's family members were in the courtroom for the announcement. No one from DuBose's family was there.
Al Gerhardstein, who represented the family in civil proceedings related to DuBose's death, said no one from the family was notified that the jury was coming back.
"That's just wrong," said Gerhardstein. "If the jury is in the courtroom, the family should be there. ... This is very stressful for the family. The system did not work. We need to get a better system in place."
Bishop Bobby Hilton, a local pastor who has been watching the case, said he believes the prosecution proved their case but cautioned that everyone needs to "give the process a chance to work."
Anything other than a guilty verdict, he added, would suggest "we have problems in the justice system."
On Thursday, the jury asked a series of questions that Shanahan did not read in open court. She said the questions would have revealed the status and nature of their deliberations, indicating that jurors at that time were having difficulty reaching a unanimous decision. Jurors have been sequestered during deliberations.
A jury expert said it's not uncommon that a deadlocked jury can't come to a decision.
"It can be maddening for the parties involved,'' said Douglas Keene, president of an Austin, Texas-based trial consulting business.
Tensing, 26, was charged last year with murder and voluntary manslaughter in the July 2015 shooting death of DuBose as he tried to drive away from a traffic stop for not having a front license plate.
Jurors began deliberating Wednesday afternoon in the trial, which began last week with opening statements. Defense attorney Stew Mathews objected to the judge's order for further deliberation. Shanahan told Mathews the order was necessary in cases such as this one.
Smh.. I've seen this movie before and I know how it ends... -
Ol' boy gone walk. These cacs aint ?
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Deliberating since Wednesday when the video clearly shows he's guilty and the police report clearly shows he lied
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Listening to this on the radio today. The judge was frustrated that jury couldn't come up with a verdict so they sent them back to discuss only to have the jury to come back out and ask was he under arrest or something to that nature.
Them asking that leads me to believe some of them on that he shouldn't of tried (enter bs excuse) -
that hoe ? ? BETTER get convicted!
