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Errol Morris On Walter Scott Shooting: 'Every Time Racism Goes Unpunished, Our Society As A Whole Suffers'

Errol Morris On Walter Scott Shooting: 'Every Time Racism Goes Unpunished, Our Society Suffers'
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HuffPost Live

Academy Award-winning documentarian Errol Morris told HuffPost Live on Tuesday that he found the filming of Walter Scott's "cold-blooded murder" to be "an incredibly brave thing" to do.

"[It was a] courageous thing and undoubtedly an extremely frightening thing," Morris said of Feidin Santana, the man who stood at the sidelines to record the harrowing footage of Scott being repeatedly shot.

The video is what depicts "the police officer's attempt to disguise the fact of what he had done by suggesting that his Taser had been taken by the suspect," Morris said. "Basically it shows a cold-blooded murder, and it also records the police officer essentially lying about the murder."

What angers Morris is the recent volume of shootings "with similar themes of an African American being shot and often killed" with little to no consequence.

"To me, every time a crime -- every time racism goes unpunished -- our society as a whole suffers," Morris said. "So yes, I'd like to see people held accountable for what happened there."

Watch Errol Morris' conversation with HuffPost Live in the clip above.

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Before You Go

Walter Scott
APTOPIX Police Officer Fatal Shooting(01 of25)
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Chasyn Carter, right, of North Charleston, S.C., embraces Candice Ancrum, of Summerville, S.C., during a candlelight vigil outside city hall protesting the shooting death of Walter Lamer Scott, Wednesday, April 8, 2015, in North Charleston, S.C. Scott was killed by a North Charleston police office after a traffic stop on Saturday. The officer, Michael Thomas Slager, has been fired and charged with murder. (AP Photo/David Goldman) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Police Officer Fatal Shooting(02 of25)
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Charleston County Sheriff Al Cannon holds a candle as he joins a protest in front of city hall in North Charleston, S.C., Wednesday, April 8, 2015. Walter Scott was killed by a North Charleston police officer after a traffic stop on Saturday. The officer, Michael Thomas Slager, has been charged with murder. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
CHARLESTON, SC - APRIL 8: Judy Scott, mother of Walter Scott, w(03 of25)
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CHARLESTON, SC - APRIL 8: Judy Scott, mother of Walter Scott, who was shot in the back and killed by North Charleston Police Officer Michael Slager, pauses while speaking to a few reporters at her home on April 8, 2015 in Charleston, SC. (Photo by Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post via Getty Images) (credit:The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Police Officer Fatal Shooting(04 of25)
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A man takes a photo as others look at a memorial and flowers placed near the site where Walter Scott was killed in North Charleston, S.C., Wednesday, April 8, 2015. Scott was killed by a North Charleston police officer after a traffic stop on Saturday. The officer has been charged with murder. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
US-CRIME-POLICE-SHOOTING(05 of25)
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Barbara Scott (R), cousin of Walter Scott, the 50-year-old man who was killed after being fired at eight times as he ran away from an officer after a traffic stop, lays flowers with her mother Evaliana Smalls (L) at the lot where the incident happened in North Charleston, South Carolina on April 8, 2015. Police officer Michael Slager,33, who fatally shot Scott in the US city of North Charleston has been fired after he was charged with murder, the mayor said. Speaking at a highly charged press conference frequently interrupted by residents angered at America's latest high-profile police killing of a black man, Mayor Keith Summey said the city had moved quickly to fire the officer after Saturday's shooting. AFP PHOTO/JIM WATSON (Photo credit should read JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:JIM WATSON via Getty Images)
US-CRIME-POLICE-SHOOTING(06 of25)
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Barbara Scott, cousin of Walter Scott, the 50-year-old man who was killed after he was fired at eight times as he ran away from an officer after a traffic stop, holds up a picture of Scott on her cell phone in North Charleston, South Carolina on April 8, 2015. Police officer Michael Slager,33, who fatally shot Scott in the US city of North Charleston has been fired after he was charged with murder, the mayor said. Speaking at a highly charged press conference frequently interrupted by residents angered at America's latest high-profile police killing of a black man, Mayor Keith Summey said the city had moved quickly to fire the officer after Saturday's shooting. AFP PHOTO/ JIM WATSON (Photo credit should read JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:JIM WATSON via Getty Images)
US-CRIME-POLICE-SHOOTING(07 of25)
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A note is tied to a fence outside the vacant lot where Walter Scott, the 50-year-old man who was fired at eight times was killed as he ran away from an officer after a traffic stop in North Charleston, South Carolina on April 8, 2015. Police officer Michael Slager,33, who fatally shot Scott in the US city of North Charleston has been fired after he was charged with murder, the mayor said. Speaking at a highly charged press conference frequently interrupted by residents angered at America's latest high-profile police killing of a black man, Mayor Keith Summey said the city had moved quickly to fire the officer after Saturday's shooting. AFP PHOTO/JIM WATSON (Photo credit should read JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:JIM WATSON via Getty Images)
US-CRIME-POLICE-SHOOTING(08 of25)
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A placard and flowers are tied to a fence outside the vacant lot where Walter Scott, the 50-year-old man who was fired at eight times was killed as he ran away from an officer after a traffic stop in North Charleston, South Carolina on April 8, 2015. Police officer Michael Slager,33, who fatally shot Scott in the US city of North Charleston has been fired after he was charged with murder, the mayor said. Speaking at a highly charged press conference frequently interrupted by residents angered at America's latest high-profile police killing of a black man, Mayor Keith Summey said the city had moved quickly to fire the officer after Saturday's shooting. AFP PHOTO/JIM WATSON (Photo credit should read JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:JIM WATSON via Getty Images)
US-CRIME-POLICE-SHOOTING(09 of25)
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People pay their respect in North Charleston, South Carolina on April 8, 2015, as media stand outside the area where Walter Scott, a 50-year-old man who was fired at eight times as he ran away from a police officer after a traffic stop. Police officer Michael Slager,33, who fatally shot Scott in the US city of North Charleston has been fired after he was charged with murder, the mayor said. Speaking at a highly charged press conference frequently interrupted by residents angered at America's latest high-profile police killing of a black man, Mayor Keith Summey said the city had moved quickly to fire the officer after Saturday's shooting. AFP PHOTO/JIM WATSON (Photo credit should read JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:JIM WATSON via Getty Images)
Police Officer Fatal Shooting(10 of25)
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Rodney Scott, left, and his brother, Anthony Scott, appear at a news conference in Charleston, S.C., on Tuesday, April 7, 2015. The brother of the two men, Walter Lamer Scott, was shot and killed by a white North Charleston police officer following a traffic stop in that city on April 4. Authorities announced Tuesday that the officer has been charged with murder in the case. (AP Photo/Bruce Smith) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
US-CRIME-POLICE-SHOOTING(11 of25)
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Placards litters the ground after protesters gathered outside the North Charleston City Hall in North Charleston, South Carolina on April 8, 2015. Police officer Michael Slager,33, who fatally shot Walter Scott,50, in the US city of North Charleston has been fired after he was charged with murder, the mayor said. Speaking at a highly charged press conference frequently interrupted by residents angered at America's latest high-profile police killing of a black man, Mayor Keith Summey said the city had moved quickly to fire the officer after Saturday's shooting. AFP PHOTO/JIM WATSON (Photo credit should read JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:JIM WATSON via Getty Images)
APTOPIX Police Officer Fatal Shooting(12 of25)
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Anthony Scott, left, hugs visitors outside his home near North Charleston, S.C., Wednesday, April 8, 2015. Scott's brother Walter Scott, was killed by a North Charleston police officer after a traffic stop on Saturday. The officer, Michael Thomas Slager, has been charged with murder. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Police Officer Fatal Shooting(13 of25)
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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. The officer, Michael Thomas Slager, has been charged with murder. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Activists Hold Rally Protesting Police Shooting Death Of Walter Scott In North Charleston(14 of25)
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NORTH CHARLESTON, SC - APRIL 08: A family friend of Walter Scott, who was killed by police in a shooting, breaks down during a rally outside City Hall on April 8, 2015 in North Charleston, South Carolina. Video captured by a bystander showed officer Michael Slager shooting Scott as he ran away. Officer Slager has been charged with murder as a result of the incident. (Photo by Richard Ellis/Getty Images) (credit:Richard Ellis via Getty Images)
Activists Hold Rally Protesting Police Shooting Death Of Walter Scott In North Charleston(15 of25)
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NORTH CHARLESTON, SC - APRIL 08: People participate in a rally to protest the death of Walter Scott, who was killed by police in a shooting, outside City Hall on April 8, 2015 in North Charleston, South Carolina. Video captured by a bystander showed officer Michael Slager shooting Scott as he ran away. Officer Slager has been charged with murder as a result of the incident. (Photo by Richard Ellis/Getty Images) (credit:Richard Ellis via Getty Images)
US-CRIME-POLICE-SHOOTING(16 of25)
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North Charleston Police Chief Eddie Driggers looks down during a press conference at City Hall in Charleston, South Carolina on April 8, 2015. The white police officer who fatally shot a fleeing black man in the US city of North Charleston has been fired after he was charged with murder, the mayor said. A police officer shot Walter Scott, 50, repeatedly in the back on Saturday after a scuffle that began with his being stopped for a broken tail light in his car. AFP PHOTO/ JIM WATSON (Photo credit should read JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:JIM WATSON via Getty Images)
US-CRIME-POLICE-SHOOTING(17 of25)
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North Charleston Police Chief Eddie Driggers (C) departs after speaking at a press conference at City Hall in Charleston, South Carolina on April 8, 2015. The white police officer who fatally shot a fleeing black man in the US city of North Charleston has been fired after he was charged with murder, the mayor said. A police officer shot Walter Scott, 50, repeatedly in the back on Saturday after a scuffle that began with his being stopped for a broken tail light in his car. AFP PHOTO/ JIM WATSON (Photo credit should read JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:JIM WATSON via Getty Images)
APTOPIX Police Officer Fatal Shooting(18 of25)
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Demonstrators pause for a moment of silence to protest the shooting death of Walter Scott at city hall in North Charleston, S.C., Wednesday, April 8, 2015. Scott was killed by a North Charleston police office after a traffic stop on Saturday. The officer, Michael Thomas Slager, has been charged with murder. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Police Officer Fatal Shooting(19 of25)
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Muhiydin D'Baha, right, carries a drawing as he arrives with Shanalea Forrest, left, to protest the shooting death of Walter Scott at city hall in North Charleston, S.C., Wednesday, April 8, 2015. Scott was killed by a North Charleston police office after a traffic stop on Saturday. The officer, Michael Thomas Slager, has been charged with murder. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Police Officer Fatal Shooting(20 of25)
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Muhiydin D'Baha leads a group protesting the shooting death of Walter Scott at city hall in North Charleston, S.C., Wednesday, April 8, 2015. Scott was killed by a North Charleston police office after a traffic stop on Saturday. The officer, Michael Thomas Slager, has been charged with murder. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Police Officer Fatal Shooting(21 of25)
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Robert Jackson holds a sign during a protest in shooting death of Walter Scott at city hall in North Charleston, S.C., Wednesday, April 8, 2015. Scott was killed by a North Charleston police office after a traffic stop on Saturday. The officer, Michael Thomas Slager, has been charged with murder. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Police Officer Fatal Shooting(22 of25)
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A man holds a sign during a protest in the shooting death of Walter Scott at city hall in North Charleston, S.C., Wednesday, April 8, 2015. Scott was killed by a North Charleston police office after a traffic stop on Saturday. The officer, Michael Thomas Slager, has been charged with murder. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Police Officer Fatal Shooting(23 of25)
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A man holds a sign during a protest for the shooting death of Walter Scott at city hall in North Charleston, S.C., Wednesday, April 8, 2015. Scott was killed by a North Charleston police officer after a traffic stop on Saturday. The officer, Michael Thomas Slager, has been charged with murder. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Activists Hold Rally Protesting Police Shooting Death Of Walter Scott In North Charleston(24 of25)
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NORTH CHARLESTON, SC - APRIL 08: People participate in a rally to protest the death of Walter Scott, who was killed by police in a shooting, outside City Hall on April 8, 2015 in North Charleston, South Carolina. Video captured by a bystander showed officer Michael Slager shooting Scott as he ran away. Officer Slager has been charged with murder as a result of the incident. (Photo by Richard Ellis/Getty Images) (credit:Richard Ellis via Getty Images)
Police Officer Under Arrest In Shooting Death Of Walter Scott In North Charleston Fired From Dept.(25 of25)
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NORTH CHARLESTON, SC - APRIL 08: Citizens protest as they walk out of City Hall following a press conference by Mayor Keith Summey on April 8, 2015 in North Charleston, South Carolina. The mayor announced that the officer, Michael Slager, who shot and killed an unarmed African American man has been fired and charged with murder in the death of Walter Scott after a traffic stop on April 4. (Photo by Richard Ellis/Getty Images) (credit:Richard Ellis via Getty Images)
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