A former South Carolina cop who shot an unarmed man last year now faces new charges of shoplifting, along with his wife.
Columbia man Sean Groubert, 32, made headlines in September 2014 when he shot an unarmed black man at a gas station who was reaching for his driver's license after the state trooper ordered him to. Groubert fired three times, striking Levar Edward Jones once in the hip.
"I was just getting my license," Jones says in dash cam footage after being shot. "Sir, why was I shot? All I did was reach for my license. I'm coming from work."
Groubert was ultimately fired from the department and charged with assault and battery. In February, Jones received a $285,000 settlement.
Court papers released Monday show that on Oct. 18, Groubert and his wife, Morgan, were arrested for shoplifting from a Columbia Walmart, according to WYFF4. Groubert, who now works as a truck driver, was out on bond.
"Please keep me out of jail," the former cop told a judge Monday. Prosecutors contend that the Grouberts switched price tags on food to change the total price of $135 to just $30, according to Live 5 News.
Groubert faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted for his felony charges stemming from the shooting. A trial date for those charges has not yet been set.
Sean and Morgan Groubert have been released on bond following the shoplifting charges and are now on house arrest.
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