Josh Earnest: SC Shooting Proves Need for Police Body Cameras

The Obama administration issued its first official response to the shooting of Walter Scott by South Carolina police officer Michael Slager during Wednesday’s White House press briefing. In response to a question from reporters, Press Secretary Josh Earnest said he had not spoken to President Barack Obama about the shooting, but said others in the White House found the video of the incident “awfully hard to watch.”

Relating the shooting to the deaths of Michael Brown, Eric Garner and others over the last year, Earnest drew attention to the “impact that this video evidence appears to have had on this investigation.” He said it is an example of how body cameras worn by police officers “could have a positive impact in terms of building trust between law enforcement officers and the communities they serve.”

Also on Wednesday, North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey told the press that he has made an “executive decision” to ensure that every officer on his police force is outfitted with a body camera moving forward. However, when a bill was introduced to do just that last year, South Carolina officers pushed back, arguing against their effectiveness.

Following the release of the video that shows Slager shooting Scott in the back, the officer’s attorney withdrew from the case and Slager was officially fired from the North Charleston force.

Watch video below, via CNN:

[Photo via screengrab]

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