CINCINNATI, (Reuters) – A University of Cincinnati police officer was indicted yesterday on murder charges in the fatal shooting last week of an unarmed black motorist who was stopped because of a missing front license plate.
Hamilton County prosecutor Joseph Deters called the July 19 death of Samuel Dubose, 43, “senseless” and “totally unwarranted.”
Ray Tensing, the 25-year-old white officer who shot Dubose in the head, “wasn’t dealing with someone who was wanted for murder,” Deters told a news conference. “He was dealing with someone who didn’t have a front license plate. This is, in the vernacular, a pretty chicken crap stop.”
The incident was the latest in a series of fatal police confrontations across the United States that have raised questions about police use of force against minorities.
Tensing will be arraigned at 10 a.m. EDT (1400 GMT) on Thursday in the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas and could face the possibility of life in prison if convicted.
Cincinnati officials braced for possible unrest after the announcement of the grand jury’s decision and the university shut in case of protests.
A body camera video that Deters played for reporters showed Tensing stopped Dubose for a missing front license plate. Dubose failed to provide a driver’s license as Tensing requested then tried to prevent Tensing, who told Dubose to take his seat belt off, from opening the car door.
The car started slowly rolling forward as Tensing reached in and yelled for him to stop. The officer then pulled his gun and fired once, killing Dubose.
