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Demographics Of North Charleston Police Department Tell A Familiar Story

Demographics Of Murder Suspect's Police Department Tell Familiar Story
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By 

Crime and Weird News editor, The Huffington Post

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The South Carolina police department that employs a white patrolman accused of murdering a black man is 80 percent white in a town that has only 37 percent white residents, based on 2007 data.

The demographics take on added significance in light of newly released video that shows Officer Michael Thomas Slager fatally shooting 50-year-old Walter Scott in the back as he flees.

The statistics, reported by the New York Times, also show that the town of North Charleston, South Carolina is 47 percent black. The stats on the police department are from 2007, the latest numbers available from the Department of Justice, according to the Times.

A human resources representative at the police department was unable to immediately provide updated demographic information when contacted by The Huffington Post.

Slager was charged with murder on Tuesday, shortly after video of the incident was obtained and released by the media.

The disproportionate number of whites on the force recalls the even more lopsided demographics of the town of Ferguson, Missouri and its police department. Ferguson is 67 percent black, but only three members of the 53-member police department are black, according to USA Today. The department was thrust into the spotlight after unarmed 18-year-old Michael Brown was shot and killed by officer Darren Wilson last year.

In Ferguson, a DOJ report found black residents were unfairly targeted for minor offenses. The report mirrored the complaints voiced by protesters in the shooting's aftermath.

Similarly, in 2012, the Post and Courier documented a rise in complaints from black residents in North Charleston who said they were being discriminated against and arrested for low-level crimes.

The paper recounts the story of Jamie Roper:

A North Charleston police officer first stopped Jamie Roper in the front yard of his Westview Street home. Roper had been speeding through the neighborhood just moments earlier, the officer said. Roper got a ticket for reckless driving.

Weeks later, Roper was inside a barbershop when he got another citation. When he walked outside, the same officer wrote him up for having loud music in his restored 1987 Chevrolet Camaro with orange paint and shiny rims.

“He spoke to me as if I wasn’t human,” Roper said. “He said he was going to get me. He said he was going to put his (police) dog on me.”

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Before You Go

2014 Police Killings
Michael Brown(01 of10)
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On Aug. 9, the unarmed 18-year-old was shot dead by Ferguson, Missouri, Police Officer Darren Wilson. Wilson claimed he shot Brown as the teen ran at him after the two fought over his gun. But multiple witnesses, including the majority of those heard by a grand jury, said Brown did not run toward the officer. Many said Brown had his hands up when he was shot and killed. On Nov. 24, a grand jury voted not to indict Wilson, setting off protests across America. (credit:Pool via Getty Images)
Eric Garner(02 of10)
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New York City police suspected Eric Garner of selling loose, untaxed cigarettes on July 17. In an attempt to place him under arrest, officer Daniel Pantaleo put Garner in what New York Police Department Commissioner Bill Bratton described as a chokehold, a move banned by the department. Garner can be seen in a video of the incident saying he can’t breathe as Pantaleo holds him. He is later pronounced dead at a hospital. A Staten Island grand jury voted on Dec. 2 not to indict Pantaleo, setting off another wave of national protests. (credit:Associated Press)
Tamir Rice(03 of10)
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On Nov. 22, 12-year-old Tamir Rice was shot by police in Cleveland who were responding to reports of someone with a gun. The weapon he had in his hand was a pellet gun. Rice died a day later in the hospital. Video footage released by police showed that Timothy Loehmann, the officer who killed Rice, shot him within two seconds of exiting his car. (credit:Associated Press)
Akai Gurley(04 of10)
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On Nov. 20, 28-year-old Akai Gurley exited his girlfriend's apartment in a Brooklyn, New York, public housing building. He started going down a dark stairwell that had a broken light. Rookie New York Police Department Officer Peter Liang, who had his gun drawn as he patrolled the stairwell, shot and killed Gurley. Police said the shooting was accidental. The New York Daily News reported that, instead of calling an ambulance, Liang texted his union representative after he shot Gurley. A grand jury will determine whether Liang faces charges. (credit:Associated Press)
John Crawford III(05 of10)
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On Aug. 5, 22-year-old John Crawford III was shot and killed by police inside a Beavercreek, Ohio, Walmart. Crawford was carrying an air rifle that he had picked up inside the store. Cops were called to investigate a man waving what could be a firearm. Police said Crawford refused to put down the gun and turned toward them in a threatening way. But lawyers representing Crawford's family say the officers were reckless and negligent. A grand jury voted not to indict either of the officers involved in the killing. (credit:Associated Press)
Ezell Ford(06 of10)
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On Aug. 11, Los Angeles police conducted "an investigative stop" and interrogated unarmed 25-year-old Ezell Ford. At some point, Ford was shot and killed. An LAPD statement on the killing said, "During the stop a struggle ensued, which resulted in an officer-involved-shooting." But witnesses told The Huffington Post that police shouted, "Shoot him," moments before three bullets hit Ford, who was on the ground. The case remains under investigation. (credit:KTLA)
Samantha Ramsey(07 of10)
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Samantha Ramsey was killed as she tried to drive away from a party on April 26 in Boone County, Kentucky. Boone County deputy Tyler Brockman said he shot Ramsey after she ran over his foot and forced him onto the hood of her car. He said he feared for his life and the lives of others when he opened fire. But witnesses said Brockman jumped onto the hood of her car and killed her unnecessarily. In November, a grand jury voted not to indict Brockman. (credit:Facebook)
Darrien Hunt(08 of10)
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Darrien Hunt was shot seven times by Saratoga Springs, Utah, police who were investigating reports of a man with a sword on Sept. 10 at a shopping center. Hunt's family said the sword was a replica. Police said Hunt refused to give up his sword and then started swinging it at them. An autopsy report determined that Hunt was shot seven times by officers, including several times in the back as he fled from police. The Hunt family's attorney, Bob Sykes, disputed assertions from cops that the 22-year-old acted aggressively. "I think it's a whitewash. I think it's an exaggeration," Sykes said. "I think they ignored good hard evidence to the contrary." (credit:Associated Press)
Rumain Brisbon(09 of10)
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Phoenix Police Officer Mark Rine was investigating a tip that 34-year-old Rumain Brisbon was selling drugs inside an SUV on Dec. 2. Police said Brisbon didn't obey the officer's commands and instead fled inside an apartment complex where a struggle ensued. During the struggle, Rine mistook a pill bottle in Brisbon's pants for a gun and fatally shot him, according to police. Brisbon was unarmed, though police found a gun in his SUV. Prosecutors are investigating whether Rine should face charges. (credit:Associated Press)
Kajieme Powell(10 of10)
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Less than two weeks after Michael Brown was killed in Ferguson, Missouri, 25-year-old Kajieme Powell was shot and killed by police in nearby St. Louis. Police were called to a convenience store to investigate a man causing a disturbance and acting irrationally. They found Powell with a knife in his hand, and graphic video shows Powell approaching them yelling, "Shoot me." But the video also appears to undermine some of the initial assertions from police. Instead of holding the knife in an overhand grip, as police said, Powell had his hands at his sides.Powell also did not get as close to the cops as they originally claimed. (credit:The Washington Post via Getty Images)
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