VIDEO: Fired South Carolina Trooper Charged with Shooting Unarmed Motorist
Fired South Carolina Trooper Charged with Shooting Unarmed Motorist
A former South Carolina state trooper faces a felony charge in the shooting of an unarmed man during a traffic stop in Columbia earlier this month.
September 25, 2014
A former South Carolina state trooper faces a felony charge in the shooting of an unarmed man during a traffic stop in Columbia earlier this month.
The State Law Enforcement Division said in a news release that 31-year-old Sean Groubert was charged Wednesday with assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature. He faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted, CBS News reports.
Authorities say Groubert stopped the victim for a seatbelt violation on Sept. 4. Levar Jones, 35, got out of his car, and investigators say the trooper shot him in the hip as he reached back into his vehicle.
WLTX TV reports that South Carolina Department of Public Safety Director Leroy Smith fired Groubert Sept. 19 after observing the video and reviewing a report from the State Law Enforcement Division.