Ray Tensing's Body Cam Shows Police Corroborating False Account of Samuel Dubose Shooting
Two police officers appear to corroborate former University of Cincinnati Officer Rey Tensing's false account that he was dragged by Samuel Dubose's car when he shot the 43-year-old driver in the head during the July 19 traffic stop, an extended version of the officer's body cam footage has revealed.
Tensing, who now faces murder charges for Dubose's death, has maintained his arm got caught in the car window when Dubose tried to speed off after Tensing stopped him for a missing front license plate. Tensing claimed he feared for his life, which prompted him to pull out his firearm and shoot Dubose in the head, killing him instantly.
However, that's not what Hamilton County, Ohio, prosecutor Joseph Deters said he saw when he watched the footage. "It is our belief that he was not dragged," he told reporters during a news conference on Wednesday. "If you slow down this tape, you see what happens. It is a very short period of time from when the car starts rolling to when a gun is out and he's shot in the head."
In a newly released extended video, Tensing repeats several times that he was "dragged" by Dubose's vehicle, and his fellow officers appear to agree and corroborate his account. The footage is part of the 28-minute video prosecutors made available to the media on Wednesday, according to the Guardian.
"He was just dragging me," Tensing says at one point in the video, to which an unknown officer replies, "Yeah, I saw that." The identities of the other two officers in the video were not immediately known; however, a copy of a university report listed police Officer Phillip Kidd as a witness to the shooting, the Guardian reports.
A few minutes later, Tensing repeats, "He was dragging me, man. I got my hand and my arm caught inside." One of the officers replies,"Yeah, I saw that."
Tensing turned himself over to authorities shortly after the press conference. A grand jury indicted Tensing Wednesday on a murder charge, which means he could face life in prison. The jury also indicted the officer on a voluntary manslaughter charge. Investigators said Tensing's body camera provided the crucial evidence they needed for an indictment.
Those who knew Dubose called for justice in the wake of the shooting. Many drew parallels to other recent police shootings of unarmed black men and boys, including the death of Michael Brown in August and the November slaying of 12-year-old Tamir Rice.
Watch the full video below:
