** (Disclaimer: This video content is intended for educational and informational purposes only) **
A suburban Columbia officer fired seven shots at a driver last month as the driver turned the wheel and drove away. The video shows Robert Cooper, an officer with the Forest Acres Police Department, on a darkened street and screaming, “Stop! Stop!†The driver then backs up his Honda Accord, the video shows, and Cooper moves into its path with his gun trained at the car’s front windshield. “Stop! Stop! Do not make me shoot you!†Cooper shouts. The driver then raises his right hand but turns the wheel with his left. As the car passes by, Cooper fires into the front windshield at point-blank range and then five more times as it passes by. “Shots fired! Shots Fired! He tried to hit me with the vehicle,†Cooper can be heard saying.
Cooper then gets into his cruiser. Out of breath, he says, “He almost hit me. I was barely able to get out of the way.†He then tells the dispatcher that he fired about five or six times into the driver’s door and the window. Despite being struck, the driver, Antwon Gallmon, 17, led police on a 2-mile chase that ended when the car crashed into an ATM. Gallmon was taken to the hospital and treated. When Gallmon was released from the hospital, police transported him to a Richland County detention center, where he was charged with failing to stop for blue lights, possession of a stolen vehicle, possession of marijuana, driving without a license and several other traffic charges. Cooper was put on paid administrative leave.
The shooting comes amid criticism that officers are too quick to fire at vehicles. Criminal justice experts say officers often put themselves in harm’s way and then fire their weapons, situations sometimes referred to as “officer-created jeopardy.†Some cities, including Charleston, all but prohibit officers from firing at cars, saying the tactic is ineffective, turns fleeing cars into unguided missiles and puts bystanders in danger. Forest Acres Police Chief Gene Sealey said that after the shooting, his department immediately turned over videos and other materials to SLED.
He said he saw the video for the first time last week. He declined to discuss details of the shooting until SLED wraps up its investigation, which he expects to happen in the coming weeks. He confirmed that Cooper remains on paid administrative leave. Asked about the issue of officers firing into cars, Sealey said, “There’s always time to go back, especially when there’s video, and see what we could have done better, and I expect we’ll do that. The last thing we want to be involved with is a shooting.â€
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** (Disclaimer: This video content is intended for educational and informational purposes only) **
Doesn't matter what the video looks like, pretty sure that dudes actions speak for themselves.
if by 'peeling out' he meant slowly drove around me, then yeah…he totally burned that rubber to the rim 🤪
Officer you lied and there’s 100’s of witnesses, maybe it’s time you retired
Sorry but he was not almost ran over. There was room and the guy was going slow. It actually appears that he's next to car and not even in front of it?
The cop WAS out of the way. Shame on him for shooting at him.
so here's the issue… people complain about these types of shootings and say it's wrong… just think of this… if that driver drives off and the officer does nothing to stop them, and that driver them crashes into your mother sister brother or what ever and kills them are you going to be happy the officer stood back and did nothing? the moment the person disobeys a direct order from the police and tries to drive away they are a criminal…. should they be shot for that… maybe not, but i'd rather have the cops stop the person before they go on to do something worse…. it's their choice to run, they run then they choose to get shot… it really is that simple
He tried to run me over 😂🤣ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜
That’s Lebron level dramatics right there!
The suspect wasn't trying to hit the officer. The officer was trying to kill this suspect!
Cop says he "tried not to shoot him", but he purposely stood in front of the car so that if it rolls forward 1 inch then he has the right to shoot. Cop is a liar.
When people complain about the hate cops get they can look back at this one where he tried to kill everyone in the car for failure to stop!!! Assholes believe they decide what crimes are punishable by death
Where are all of the bootlickers? They are surprisingly quiet on this video.
Execution style killing, at no time the was officer in danger of being hit by the vehicle, and the officer stood where did to perform said execution of driver, in an orchestrated fashion. This was the officers uncontrollable need for authority over others, and why he stood in front of the vehicles front bumper.
That was attempted murder, and then he immediately lies about the suspect trying to hit him with a vehicle.
I am beginning to think that cops are really against African-Americans, most shootings are justified. Meaning if cops didn't act more lives could have been lost. But this video raises a lot more questions. If the driver was white would have the officer have fired? Was this officer's life really in danger? Did he have the right to fire 7 shots and the driver who was already away?
The can didn't move..
Mm🤔
“ He tried to hit me with his car…â€uhhh noooo…. if anything, he avoided hitting the cop. But whatever floats his boat 😂
I respect how difficult being a law enforcement officer is, and how it can get jumbled in the heat of the moment; however, in my opinion, this police officer was clearly dying to shoot this driver. He stepped in front of the car and the driver went around him to the right. There is no way the car almost hit him, nor tried to hit him—he didn’t have to even move as he popped off all those shots. It is on camera and the justification is an absolute fabrication. “I tried not to shoot himâ€. B.S. “I was able to step to the right just as he was about to hit meâ€. B.S. “I didn’t want to shoot himâ€. B.S. (my opinion)
Pussy cop
One more innocent Person Dies in the Hands of the Blue Gang
How tha f… That Guy surviv at that shot fire so cloose
What is so hard to understand when a police officer is pointing their gun at you saying "Stop!" and yet they try and drive away anyway? These things happen in SECONDS and after the fact can be reviewed on video for HOURS. Need to remember these decisions are made in split seconds.
Ummm he did NOT try to hit him with the vehicle. That cop is soooo full of shit.. anything to shoot somebody 7 times. Now the cop made the car a missle cause if the guy passes out at the wheel, he can hurt alot of people or even kill someone… thats on the department then
Most officers out here hope to go their entire career without ever having to discharge their weapon and then…there's these idiots who are looking for any reason to shoot
Take them deep breaths big guy, acting like he just ran a mile from discharging his service weapon…of course, it's all part of the lie he's telling, acting all shaken up like he almost just got ran over! 🤣
The skid marks on the road where he peeled out??! He’s nauseous?! He didn’t wanna shoot him??! I guess attempted murder is nauseating. He must’ve realized he effed up cuz he won’t stop talking about it.
Flat out lie! He literally turned the wheel and drove next to him. Why lie?? He warned him plenty to stop or he’ll shoot..then he did.