Police Shooting Over Seatbelt Violation Leads to S.C. State Trooper Being Fired, Arrested, Charged With Aggravated Assault and Battery

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Three weeks ago Sean Groubert, a "lance corporal" with the South Carolina Highway Patrol, shot repeatedly at Levar Jones after stopping him over an apparent seatbelt violation. Yesterday he was charged with high and aggravated assault and battery. Though he shot Jones, who was unarmed, several times, The State reports Jones may have only been hit once. He appears to shoot almost immediately after asking Jones to return to his car to retrieve his license.

The shooting was caught on the trooper's dash cam, and played during his bond hearing (set at $75,000). Groubert faces up to 30 years if convicted. 90 percent of state troopers in South Carolina are represented by the South Carolina Troopers Association (SCTA). Diane Rollison of the SCTA, however, would not confirm whether Groubert was a member or whether it would be defending him in any way.

Watch video of the shooting here:

Comments

[Rich]

Apparently Eric Holder is "stepping down".

[Swiss Servator, Grundgesetz!]

Just saw that - good riddance, scum bag.

[Palin's Buttplug]

FAST AND FURIOUS! FAST AND FURIOUSSSSS!!!!!

[Rich]

He will stay on until his successor is confirmed; and I'm sure he'll be quite calm about it.

[WTF]

Were you born a fat, slimy, scumbag puke piece o' shit, shreek, or did you have to work on it?

[Mike M.]

Hello David Weigel. How's the new job coming along so far? Still living at 2124 12th St NW Washington, DC 20009, phone number 202-261-2848, I assume?

Now get back to work on your crappy book.

[Fist of Etiquette]

I see back pay in someone's future.

[Swiss Servator, Grundgesetz!]

I dunno - Diane Rollison of the SCTA, however, would not confirm whether Groubert was a member or whether it would be defending him in any way.

How toxic do you have to be where the cop union seems to be ducking away from you?!

[RBS]

That or something like this:

Ed: Hi, I'm from reason magazine and I have some...

Diane: What the fuck is reason magazine? hangs up

[Ed]

No she stayed on the phone long enough for me to ask whether he was represented by them and whether they'd help him and for her to tell me she can't say if he's a member! It could be a "privacy" issue, though that wasn't said, and I imagine if some trooper saved a kitten from a burning building or something they'be happy to tell us that trooper had paid his dues or whatever

[RBS]

I thought that was probably what actually happened.

[Ed]

I figured it was a joke but thought I'd use the opportunity to clarify the conversation anyway

[seguin]

Well, they were confused...why would Reason ask the Southern California Timing Association about police abuse?

[blackjack]

Land speed record! Faster than a speeding cop bullet!

[SusanM]

Several shots and the guy's still alive?

Also, some funny

http://www.cracked.com/article.....itcom.html

[Almanian!]

I hear shrieking? Must be someone fapping fast and furious-like about his Messiah.

[seguin]

unf unf unf....ACA...unf unf unf...Holder...unf unf unf UNF UNF UNF TEABAGGERZ! and I'm spent.

[tarran]

This video completely captures the thing that John is warning against.

These cops are being trained for the worst case scenario, that they will be ambushed and gunned down, and thus think that they are in far more danger than they actually are.

The guy reaching for his wallet has no idea that what he is doing is perceived by cops to be as threatening as whipping out a gun and waving it around. The victim is doing what he thinks is a compliant, non-threatening thing, and the cop is perceiving it as the prelude to the victim murdering the cop. The training is encouraging murders by making cops think compliant actions are threats justifying violent self-defense.

[Auric Demonocles]

I think the bigger problem is we are hiring all these cowards to be cops.

[Almanian!]

I think the bigger problem is is all these traffic laws making cops spend all this time hijacking my money for traffic infractions.

When they're not shooting "civilians" for getting their wallet out the car. Or "shopping". Or "getting out of bed to see who broke down the door and shot the dog...at the wrong address....at 2:00am".

[Scarecrow Repair]

The bigger problem is immunity. This cop overreacted and should be charged exactly as a civilian would have been charged. Eliminate immunity for these actions, and all the lesser problems will solve themselves.

It's like free markets -- they aren't the answers and solutions, they are the meta-answers and meta-solutins which allow the real answers and solutions to solve the problems.

[thom]

You have to be cautious around cops the same way you would be cautious around a wild animal. If you don't show them deference you'll get assaulted for sure, possibly shot/murdered. If you need to reach in your car to get your wallet you say, "my wallet is in the car. Can I reach in and get it?" Degrading as all hell, sure, but you're not dealing with a rational human being, you're dealing with a wild and unpredictable person.

[adifferentken]

And if you keep your hands on the wheel, move slowly and carefully, and ask 'may I reach for my registration, it's in the glove compartment' they use that as an excuse to turn your car inside out saying 'well, he was acting like someone who had something to hide and was very nervous'

[Robert]

Because Barney Fife thinks some guy he pulled over for a seat belt violation, who pulled into the gas station & stopped, is thinking, "OMG! I can't have a seat belt violation on my record. I'd better kill this cop right here in broad daylight in an operating gas station!"

When did the standard procedure change from having the violator stay in the vehicle while the policeman walked over to his window? I was told decades ago (by an ex-policeman criticizing Chi. police from deviating from that procedure) that that was the safest procedure.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Watching the dashcam video, the guy went from apologizing after getting shot to getting pissed off as the pain starts in. And the trooper I think started to grasp that he fucked up.

[Almanian!]

Reason - this article does NOT make up for the other nut punches this morning.

"High and aggravated assault and battery. Yeah - get back to me when they start charging psychobilly cops like this with Attempted Murder. Which is what he did.

Fucking pig. Hope he roasts in general population, but I'm sure probation for his exemplary service will be in order.

Fuck tha poe lease.

[Ed]

I got another one for you later that's almost like a thematic sequel to this

[Swiss Servator, Grundgesetz!]

*searches for kevlar nut protector*

[CopAndLibertarian]

Nice to see you can reply to highly educated and thoughtful people like Almanian!...As usual, excellent reporting Ed. Once again, trying to infuriate the uneducated. It appears you like to reply to people with similar opinions to your own. Very intellectual of you.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

You see - if he'd been wearing his seat belt he wouldn't have been injured!

[WTF]

Yeah, he basically shot himself by not complying with the law. He should be charged with his own assault and attempted murder.
hth

[Notorious G.K.C.]

And it shows that wearing your seat belt in fact makes you safer. Thus proving the need for seat-belt laws. That policeman probably saved the motorist from being seriously injured!

[RBS]

Don't read the comments to The State article.

[Johnny Bravo]

Ed, why the scare quotes around Lance Corporal? Is that his rank within the highway patrol?

[WTF]

I think it's snark about cops using military ranks.

[Pope Jimbo]

We always referred to it as Lance Coolie when I was in the suck.

[Logistika]

The particularly dumb/clueless ones we called "Lance-Corporal-grab-a-sandwich".

Some other Sgt. started it, and our company carried it on for almost a decade

[PRX]

his resignation should be refused and he should be fired for being a massive fuckup and a danger to the public. that should be the record any future employer would have to willfully ignore to hire him.

[Paul.]

Fuck that cop. Had he killed that guy, I'd want the death penalty for that cop. The fucking death penalty.

You know what they say da gas chamber smell like, Groubert? Pine oil. You goin' to a pine oil heaven.

[Paul.]

Oh, and a 'seatbelt' violation. WHO THE FUCK DOESN'T WEAR THEIR SEATBELT IN ANY CAR MANUFACTURED AFTER 1994? You gonna drive down the road with the fucking car DINGING at you for 200 miles?

[fuck you tulpa]

In a parking lot. it's not illegal to drive in a parking lot without a seatbelt in my state, I don't know about this one.

[Paul.]

Exactly. The dude was rolling up to a gas pump and the cop jammed him for a seatbelt violation? That cop just wanted to shoot someone that day.

[The Late P Brooks]

There could have been a bazooka under the seat, for crying out loud.

OFFICER SAFETY!

[The Late P Brooks]

I can see this footage appearing in a training video.

*edited video rolls, with no soundtrack*

Narrator: And here we see the perp diving for the weapon inside the vehicle. Fortunately, this officer was at the ready, and was able to neutralize the threat. THIS OFFICER made it home to his family. WILL YOU?

[Juice]

AND THE VICTIM APOLOGIZES!

[MJGreen]

I'm glad the guy lived, because I don't feel as bad laughing about how ridiculous this all is.

Glad the idiot is getting charged. I would have expected probation at most.

[silverfang789]

Looks like one pig being sent to the pokey. I really hope this teaches the other oinkers a lesson about how a citizen is to be dealt with. We are entitled to respect from them, as it is our tax money that pays their salary.

[AD-RtR/OS!]

Obviously, operating a motor vehicle in a driveway is subject to the full panoply of Vehicle Code regulations in SC as operation on a public street - he went from one parking lot to the gas station without entering a street, and got shot for his trouble.
Time to repeal seat-belt violations from being a "Primary Stop" offense.

[blackjack]

What is the moral justification for mandating seat belt use at all?

[Rev-Match]

There is not one because the only person you (may) endanger by not wearing one is yourself. It is a revenue scheme that, apparently, can be fatal to victims whose only "crime" was obeying a request.

[jdfinct]

I had a conversation with someone about this and he claims that if you are in an accident and not wearing your belt you are at risk for more injuries therefore driving up everyone's insurances rates since it's based on a risk pool, so you are violating their rights, so you must be forced to wear one. I am not kidding.

[Public Name 2]

Something interesting in this video. Cop later says:
"And then you jump back out, I'm telling you to get out of your car"

Video says guy didnt jump, and was shot 1 second after "get out of your car".

Cop's nervous time sense distortion on full display

[blackjack]

Where's Dunphy to tell us how much worse the New Orleans cops would've been?

[blackjack]

Another hero, exonerated by a dash cam. Can you just imagine the false complaint this criminal seat belt law flaunter would've filed?

[Rev-Match]

So, cop asks for license, then shoots the guy for retrieving his license. I also noticed the cop called for backup before calling an ambulance for the innocent guy he shot. Then, he continued as if it was business as usual instead of performing first aid or checking if any of his other spray-&-pray rounds found their way into another innocent person. This is disgusting.

[Smokert5555]

Granted, bad things have happened to the police during traffic stops. But this appears to be a clear example of a police officer on edge. Should the public now act as officers do and expect the worst case scenario out of every traffic stop?