A Police officer from the state of South Carolina, Lieutenant Mark Tiller has shot an unarmed white teen at very close range, killing him instantly.

According to the account of the story, at around 8:20pm on July 26th, 2015, Zachary Hammond who was on his first date with his girlfriend drove his 2001 Honda Civic through the parking lot of a Hardee’s restaurant in the city of Seneca, in Oconee County.

The couple’s car was stopped at a drive-through window for several minutes for what the police said was a marijuana inspection. The police claimed Tiller approached Hammond’s car, ordering him to show his hands but Hammond refused to obey the order and instead accelerated toward the officer.

The officer is then said to have fired two rounds from his 45 caliber handgun, at close range, through the open driver’s side window of Hammond’s car. The bullets struck Hammond, killing him on the spot. His girlfriend was later issued a summons for possession of 10 grams of marijuana and the police alleged that she had planned to sell it to an undercover officer who had set up the deal.

Filming Cops reported that some witnesses to the incident said they saw the police take something out of their patrol car trunk and place it under the lifeless body of Hammond.

After the shooting, the police defended the reckless conduct of Tiller, saying he feared being run over by Hammond’s vehicle when he backed it up and then pulled forward toward him. Tiller has since been suspended and the police say they are still investigating the incident.

t is even said the Seneca Police Chief, John Covington initially refused to release Tiller’s name, identifying him as the shooter in violation of South Carolina’s sunshine law, but did finally release it 12 days after the incident in response to Freedom of Information requests.

Hammond’s family on the other hand has categorically denied the account of the story narrated by the police. The family said Hammond was trying to park the car and was not at any risk to Tiller or any of his colleagues. The family’s lawyer was quoted as saying, “the teen was shot in the back and his car was not moving”.

Another area of Hammond’s death that raises lots of questions is the autopsy report. An independent autopsy suggested a bullet hit him in the back of one of his shoulders and the side, near the back of his head. But the earlier autopsy by Oconee County Coroner, Karl Addis claimed that there were bullets lodged in his chest and shoulder.

The family has pleaded with the police to release the dashcam footage of the incident to show how he was shot but the police have repeatedly turned down that plea.

Found at Anon HQ