Savannah/Chatham Metro Police have released a series of surveillance videos from the convenience store in West Savannah where the late Charles Smith was arrested. He was later shot by an officer during an altercation in and around the police car further down the block.
However, the videos do not show that incident and essentially show four different views on the convenience store scene, two inside and two outside, at different angles.
This article appears in Sep 17-23, 2014.
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My heart is still racing from watching this. I’ve been a victim myself & being caught by surprise only escalates things. Being caught by surprise never diffuses a situation. These officers jumped on this man without warning. No wonder he was scared.
And even though we know that Charles Smith had a record (though not for things like murder or rape) I sit here in absolute shock at how the police officers didn’t give this man even a few seconds to process what was about to happen (like “Excuse us, Mr. Charles, please don’t run. But you are wanted for such & such. Please come with us peacefully. Please turn around with hands in the air, legs apart, please get on your knees, hands behind your back, please stand and come with us to be processed.”). —– Look, I like having a strong police force. I want them patrolling our streets. I was so happy to see them when I was mugged. And yet, to sneak up on anyone like they did to arrest this man makes even me scared of some police. — Looks to me like they played a HUGE PART in escalating what could have been, should have been, a simple arrest.