Cop Suspended as Video Shows Him Shoot at Black Teen 7 Times Point Blank as He Tries to Evade Arrest
South Carolina Officer Robert Cooper has been suspended indefinitely after he was caught on video shooting at a black teenager 7 times at point-blank range while the teen attempted to drive away and avoid arrest, Daily Mail reports.
The 17-year-old driver Antwon Gallmon was left hospitalized.
In the video, Gallmon attempts to escape as Cooper aims his gun at the car and screams, “Stop! Stop! Do not make me shoot you!”
Gallmon doesn’t stop, and continues to drive away.
Cooper then fires seven shots into the car, quickly, from point-blank range. He then tells his dispatcher, “Shots fired! Shots fired! He tried to hit me with his vehicle.”
“He almost hit me! I was barely able to get out of the way!”
The video doesn’t show Cooper coming close to hitting Gallmon, who does nothing to get out of the way. Afterwards, he shows his subconscious remorse for his actions, manifested in excusing them:
“I don’t think I did anything wrong,” he can be heard saying. “I did everything I could trying to give commands, how many times. I even tried to jump out of the way before..and I barely made it. I barely made it.”
Gallmon was caught later, after a police chase. He had been shot at least once, and was hospitalized.
Gallmon was charged with failure to stop for the police, possession of a stolen vehicle, unlawful possession of a pistol, possession of marijuana, possession of a ‘Schedule 1’ drug, and driving without a license.
Cooper has been suspended with pay while his use of deadly force is under investigation.
