The Slatest

Cincinnati Prosecutor Announces Indictment of Officer for “Senseless” Murder of Black Driver

Screen shot/WLWT

Hamilton County, Ohio, prosecutor Joe Deters announced that a grand jury has indicted 25-year-old University of Cincinnati police officer Ray Tensing on murder charges in the July 19 shooting death of 43-year-old Sam DuBose, an unarmed black man who had been pulled over because his car was missing a front license plate. Deters released body-camera video of the incident, during which Tensing and DuBose discuss whether DuBose has a valid driver’s license before they begin struggling and Tensing draws his gun and fires while the car rolls away. The gunshot can be heard on the video, but it’s difficult to see exactly what’s happening at that moment because Tensing is moving:

Deters said Tensing’s actions were “senseless” and “horrible” and called the act of pulling DuBose over a “chickencrap stop.” Tensing told an officer who responded after the shooting that he had been “dragged” by DuBose’s car, but the video doesn’t appear to show such an event. “If he’s starting to roll away, just let him go,” said Deters at today’s press conference. “You don’t have to shoot him in the head.”

Tensing has turned himself in to authorities.