White Officer Indicted in Killing Of Black Ohio Motorist

A University of Cincinnati police officer who fatally shot an unarmed black man has been charged with murder after a grand jury investigation, the Hamilton County prosecutor said on Wednesday.

Prosecutor Joseph Deters, speaking bluntly at a news conference to announce the charges, called the July 19 death of Samuel Dubose, 43, “senseless” and totally unnecessary. He said Ray Tensing, the white officer who shot Dubose in the head, never should have been a police officer.

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.

Police said Tensing, who also was charged with voluntary manslaughter, surrendered at about 2:00 p.m. EDT. He will be arraigned at 10:00 a.m. EDT on Thursday in the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas and could face the possibility of life in prison if convicted.

Tensing’s attorney, Stew Mathews, told the Fox 19 media station in Cincinnati that his client was being “thrown under the bus” by the prosecutor and the school. A body camera video Deters played for reporters showed Tensing running after the slowly rolling car after the stop. Deters said Tensing was not dragged by the car, as the officer had reported. Asked about a second police officer who supported Tensing’s report of the incident, Deters said his office was investigating that.

Mathews said there is a second video that will show more of the incident.

This article appeared in print on page 3 of the July 30th, 2015 edition of Hamodia.