CINCINNATI – A white University of Cincinnati police officer charged with murder in the shooting death of an unarmed black motorist during a traffic stop last week is due in court today.
Officer Ray Tensing’s attorney says he was shocked his client was indicted for murder. Stewart Mathews says he expected Tensing would be indicted because of the political climate and previous statements by city leaders. But Mathews says murder means the purposeful killing of another and his client didn’t intend to kill motorist Samuel DuBose.
Hamilton County prosecutor Joe Deters (left) saw it differently when he announced the grand jury indictment Wednesday, saying Tensing “purposely killed” Samuel DuBose last week and “should never have been a police officer.” He characterized the shooting as “the most asinine thing” he has ever heard of a police officer doing.
Tensing turned himself in Wednesday.
Mathews says video from the body camera of a police officer who arrived right after the July 19 shooting shows Tensing on the ground. Mathews says that video wasn’t publicly released Wednesday. He also says Tensing thought he was going to be dragged under DuBose’s car and feared for his life.
A rally held by the activist group Black Lives Matter in support of DuBose, 43, drew a large crowd outside a courthouse.