David Wooderson
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By Regina F. Graham For Dailymail.com
Video reveals horrific moment cop shot dead unarmed teen on a first date as it's revealed officer will NOT be charged with anything
[video]http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3291772/Official-No-state-charges-officer-fatally-shot-teen.html#v-4838650245841466059[/video]
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The dash cam footage of a South Carolina police officer fatally shooting an unarmed 19-year-old has been released, after a state prosecutor announced Tuesday no criminal charges will be filed against the officer.
Solicitor Chrissy Adams said that after reviewing the case and applicable law, Seneca officer Mark Tiller won't face charges in South Carolina after he shot dead Zachary Hammond on July 26 in the parking lot of a fast food restaurant.
Hammond was shot twice by Tiller during an undercover marijuana sting operation that went wrong.
The teen was on a first date with 23-year-old Tori Morton, who was the target of the bust after an undercover officer arranged a drug deal with her at Hardee's. She was sitting in Hammond's passenger seat of the car at the time of the deadly shooting, but was not injured.
According to a lawsuit filed by his family, the two first got ice cream at McDonald's, then drove to Hardee's so Hammond could get a hamburger.
The newly released video of the incident begins with the police car accelerating towards Hammond's vehicle.
After the patrol vehicle stops behind Hammond's car, Tiller exits the patrol car with his gun raised and aimed at the driver's side of the teen's vehicle.
The officer can be heard yelling 'hands up, put them up, stop, stop, stop' as Hammond backs out of the parking space and accelerates to leave.
Tiller can then be heard firing his gun twice in rapid succession at the driver's side of the vehicle as it quickly moves out of the camera's view.
About nine seconds after the shooting when another officer arrived, Tiller can be heard saying out of the dashboard camera's view 'he tried to hit me.'
The sound in the footage becomes inaudible, but someone out of the camera's view is clearly heard yelling 'shots fired, shots fired' a number of times, while someone else demands 'put your hands in the air.'
Another person, possibly Morton, can be heard screaming in the video.
Adams wrote that the facts surrounding the case do not warrant charges being filed in state court against Tiller.
'Because of the unique circumstances of this case, including all the rumors, innuendo, and false information that has been reported, I feel it necessary to go into more detail than usual in this letter in order to clearly explain to you why I do not recommend that state charges be filed,' Adams said.
'The dash cam video shows Hammond's vehicle veering toward Lt. Miller and accelerating rapidly.
'The first shot can be heard almost immediately after Tiller pushes off the car and when his body is still exposed to danger from the vehicle.
'The second shot immediately follows. The car accelerated with such force that a concrete curb was damaged as well as Hammond's front passenger side tire.'
She also wrote that a forensic analysis showed that the teen had used cocaine and marijuana three to six hours before being fatally shot by Tiller.
The investigation also revealed Hammond possessed these drugs, WHNS reported.
Facts established during the investigation into the shooting revealed that the teen was resisting and attempting to evade arrest, Adams said. He also had an active warrant out for his arrest.
The solicitor wrote that around 840 pages of text messages recovered from Hammond's cell phone 'indicate that Hammond had been on a dangerous and destructive course for a significant period of his life.'
According to Adams' letter, a South Carolina Highway Patrol trooper received a text message on July 26 from an unknown individual known as 'Tori.'
Adams said, it was discovered that the text, which was offering to sell cocaine and marijuana, was sent by Morton using Hammond's cell phone and that the trooper's phone number was one digit different than the person whom she was trying to reach.
The trooper contacted the Seneca Police Department after receiving the text messages and they had the trooper respond to Morton to arrange a meeting, Adams Wrote.
Adams said that the investigation revealed 'Hammond and Morton arrived in the rear Hardee's parking lot to commit felonies by selling cocaine and marijuana.'
Tiller was called for back up when the undercover officer thought that Hammond and Morton were going to approach him.
Tiller has said through his lawyer that he thought Hammond was threatening to run him over and fired twice to protect himself.
Hammond's family said a private autopsy showed that the teen was shot in the side and the back, proving the threat had passed.
City lawyers have said the shooting was justified and that Tiller shot Hammond in self-defense when he drove his car at the officer.
Hammond's family says Tiller threatened to blow Hammond's head off. The officer's attorneys deny that.
The family also says Hammond was shot through the driver's side window from behind, indicating there was no danger to the officer.
Lawyer Eric Bland has said the family talked to the Morton, looked at private surveillance camera footage and did the private autopsy.
The family's lawsuit says that after paramedics determined Hammond was dead, his body was left for 90 minutes on the ground, where it was bitten and stung by ants.
A second officer gave the lifeless teen's body a high-five sometime after other investigators arrived, according to the lawsuit.
In legal papers, lawyers have acknowledged that the second officer may have said something about inappropriate contact with Hammond's body.
The U.S. Department of Justice also is investigating the case, and Adams said she won't release additional information while those federal authorities decide whether they'll bring charges against Tiller.
His family wanted Adams removed from the case because she works closely with local police, but the state Supreme Court rejected the request.
Their family attorney, Ronnie Richter, told the NY Daily News that Hammond's parents watched the dash camera footage for the first time Tuesday and plan on continuing with the law suit.
'It's a very painful day for them, seeing this for the first time,' he said. 'They are devastated. It's very hard to watch — it would be for any parent, to watch your child get shot.'
Video reveals horrific moment cop shot dead unarmed teen on a first date as it's revealed officer will NOT be charged with anything
- Zachary Hammond, 19, was fatally shot on July 26 in Seneca, South Carolina while on a first date with 23-year-old Tori Morton
- Morton was being investigated after allegedly offering to sell drugs to another cop in a text message sent from Hammond's phone
- The cop mistakenly received the text when Morton typed the wrong number
- Authorities arranged a meeting with the pair in an attempted drugs sting
- Lt. Mark Tiller claimed he shot Hammond because he 'feared for his life'
- Autopsy showed teen was shot in the side and back, according to parents
- Lawsuit filed by the family claims the last words Hammond heard before dying were, 'I'll blow your f***ing head off'
- Civil complaint claims another cop celebrated Zachary's death by giving his lifeless body a high-five
- Officials announced no criminal charges will be filed against Tiller as dash cam footage of shooting is released Tuesday
[video]http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3291772/Official-No-state-charges-officer-fatally-shot-teen.html#v-4838650245841466059[/video]
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The dash cam footage of a South Carolina police officer fatally shooting an unarmed 19-year-old has been released, after a state prosecutor announced Tuesday no criminal charges will be filed against the officer.
Solicitor Chrissy Adams said that after reviewing the case and applicable law, Seneca officer Mark Tiller won't face charges in South Carolina after he shot dead Zachary Hammond on July 26 in the parking lot of a fast food restaurant.
Hammond was shot twice by Tiller during an undercover marijuana sting operation that went wrong.
The teen was on a first date with 23-year-old Tori Morton, who was the target of the bust after an undercover officer arranged a drug deal with her at Hardee's. She was sitting in Hammond's passenger seat of the car at the time of the deadly shooting, but was not injured.
According to a lawsuit filed by his family, the two first got ice cream at McDonald's, then drove to Hardee's so Hammond could get a hamburger.
The newly released video of the incident begins with the police car accelerating towards Hammond's vehicle.
After the patrol vehicle stops behind Hammond's car, Tiller exits the patrol car with his gun raised and aimed at the driver's side of the teen's vehicle.
The officer can be heard yelling 'hands up, put them up, stop, stop, stop' as Hammond backs out of the parking space and accelerates to leave.
Tiller can then be heard firing his gun twice in rapid succession at the driver's side of the vehicle as it quickly moves out of the camera's view.
About nine seconds after the shooting when another officer arrived, Tiller can be heard saying out of the dashboard camera's view 'he tried to hit me.'
The sound in the footage becomes inaudible, but someone out of the camera's view is clearly heard yelling 'shots fired, shots fired' a number of times, while someone else demands 'put your hands in the air.'
Another person, possibly Morton, can be heard screaming in the video.
Adams wrote that the facts surrounding the case do not warrant charges being filed in state court against Tiller.
'Because of the unique circumstances of this case, including all the rumors, innuendo, and false information that has been reported, I feel it necessary to go into more detail than usual in this letter in order to clearly explain to you why I do not recommend that state charges be filed,' Adams said.
'The dash cam video shows Hammond's vehicle veering toward Lt. Miller and accelerating rapidly.
'The first shot can be heard almost immediately after Tiller pushes off the car and when his body is still exposed to danger from the vehicle.
'The second shot immediately follows. The car accelerated with such force that a concrete curb was damaged as well as Hammond's front passenger side tire.'
She also wrote that a forensic analysis showed that the teen had used cocaine and marijuana three to six hours before being fatally shot by Tiller.
The investigation also revealed Hammond possessed these drugs, WHNS reported.
Facts established during the investigation into the shooting revealed that the teen was resisting and attempting to evade arrest, Adams said. He also had an active warrant out for his arrest.
The solicitor wrote that around 840 pages of text messages recovered from Hammond's cell phone 'indicate that Hammond had been on a dangerous and destructive course for a significant period of his life.'
According to Adams' letter, a South Carolina Highway Patrol trooper received a text message on July 26 from an unknown individual known as 'Tori.'
Adams said, it was discovered that the text, which was offering to sell cocaine and marijuana, was sent by Morton using Hammond's cell phone and that the trooper's phone number was one digit different than the person whom she was trying to reach.
The trooper contacted the Seneca Police Department after receiving the text messages and they had the trooper respond to Morton to arrange a meeting, Adams Wrote.
Adams said that the investigation revealed 'Hammond and Morton arrived in the rear Hardee's parking lot to commit felonies by selling cocaine and marijuana.'
Tiller was called for back up when the undercover officer thought that Hammond and Morton were going to approach him.
Tiller has said through his lawyer that he thought Hammond was threatening to run him over and fired twice to protect himself.
Hammond's family said a private autopsy showed that the teen was shot in the side and the back, proving the threat had passed.
City lawyers have said the shooting was justified and that Tiller shot Hammond in self-defense when he drove his car at the officer.
Hammond's family says Tiller threatened to blow Hammond's head off. The officer's attorneys deny that.
The family also says Hammond was shot through the driver's side window from behind, indicating there was no danger to the officer.
Lawyer Eric Bland has said the family talked to the Morton, looked at private surveillance camera footage and did the private autopsy.
The family's lawsuit says that after paramedics determined Hammond was dead, his body was left for 90 minutes on the ground, where it was bitten and stung by ants.
A second officer gave the lifeless teen's body a high-five sometime after other investigators arrived, according to the lawsuit.
In legal papers, lawyers have acknowledged that the second officer may have said something about inappropriate contact with Hammond's body.
The U.S. Department of Justice also is investigating the case, and Adams said she won't release additional information while those federal authorities decide whether they'll bring charges against Tiller.
His family wanted Adams removed from the case because she works closely with local police, but the state Supreme Court rejected the request.
Their family attorney, Ronnie Richter, told the NY Daily News that Hammond's parents watched the dash camera footage for the first time Tuesday and plan on continuing with the law suit.
'It's a very painful day for them, seeing this for the first time,' he said. 'They are devastated. It's very hard to watch — it would be for any parent, to watch your child get shot.'
