Social media users from opposing corners of the Internet have begun posting messages about Hammond under the hashtag #ZacharyHammond so that his death and the issue of police reform aren’t lost in disputes.
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Morton was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana due to the 10 grams of marijuana she reportedly had on her.
John Covington, a Seneca Police Chief, said that the officer shot through Hammond’s auto window out of fear for his life when Zachary Hammond allegedly headed towards the officer with his vehicle.
Hammond’s family attorney, Eric Bland, told the media on Tuesday that Hammond was on his first date with Morton when the incident happened.
“If the police officer was white and the victim was African American, the amount of attention on this shooting would be astronomical”, he told The Greenville News.
While race may be a factor in the disparity of media coverage – Hammond was white and Mr. DuBose was black – to some observers, the conversation on national racial dynamics in the case in Seneca is diverting attention away from more pressing questions about police brutality and transparency.
‘The hypocrisy that has been shown toward this is really disconcerting.’.
“This is about the use of overreaching deadly force in situations where it is not required”, Bland said.
This year, 25 percent of the people fatally shot by police have been black, and 50 percent have been white, statistics show.
Covington previously said he would not release the officer’s name because he considered him “a victim of attempted murder”.
Justice for Zachary Hammond Zachary Hammond, 19, was shot dead by police on July 26 during a botched drug bust. According to the autopsy, the second bullet proved to be fatal, entering from the back of Hammond’s left side and passing through his chest, piercing his lungs and heart.
Oconee County Coroner Karl Addis told the Los Angeles Times that Hammond died of a fatal gunshot wound to the chest.
The original police report failed to mention the two shots that killed Hammond. In the DuBose case, for example, dashboard camera video of the shooting was released and a Cincinnati prosecutor was willing to press charges and make statements in front of television cameras.
A defiant Covington said the auto was turning toward the officer, who fired off the shots to keep the vehicle from hitting him as it approached from an angle, according to the news site.
Hammond’s death has not generated the same national outcry as the deaths of Michael Brown, Eric Garner and others.
“In that case, Hammond fits right in”, she added. The color of his skin should not matter. On the other hand, the Black Lives Matter movement has taken a clear stand, speaking up about the death of the 19-year-old and implementing their broader belief that every life matters.
The case is being reviewed by the South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division.
A spokesman for SLED, Thom Berry, confirmed that dashboard video of the incident does exist and is part of the ongoing investigation.
Bland said he plans to release the autopsy report Wednesday morning.
Where are all the #AllLivesMatter people when it comes to #ZacharyHammond?
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“Let us join together as a community to honor Zach’s memory and to continue to pray for his family and for the wisdom of all involved parties”, the group posted, asking participants not to park at businesses that are open at the time.
