Richmond students honor Walter Scott

Members of the University of Richmond community gathered in The Forum Wednesday afternoon to commemorate Walter Scott, a black male who was shot in the back and killed by a white police officer in North Charleston, South Carolina, April 4.

Former officer Michael Slager, 33, was charged with murder after a video emerged of him firing eight shots at the back of the escaping Scott, which followed a dispute between the two that stemmed from a seemingly standard traffic stop.

WARNING: The video below contains graphic images. Video courtesy of The Lad Buzz/Creative Commons.

Westhampton College seniors Destiny Smith and Taylor Parson organized the event where people signed a commemorative banner, shared thoughts related to the Scott incident, and observed a moment of silence.

"We wanted to have this event because sometimes we feel as though the UR bubble is a real thing," Smith said. "People forget about what's going on in the real world, and how it effects not just one person, but many others.

"We wanted to do something to bring awareness, but not be so radical," Smith said.

The Scott killing follows similar instances of police officers using lethal force against black men, which have sparked national discussion, debate, and – in some cases – violent protest in regards to how police officers use force against civilians, particularly black men.

"Even though the focus is on Walter Scott, we also want to show it happens more broadly," Parson said.

In November, some Richmond students protested on similar inequality issues.

"I think that the day that we can start having open conversations about race, about discrimination, finally we will be able to heal ourselves," Smith said. "We can figure out where these issues are coming from."

Contact editor-in-chief Jack Nicholson at jack.nicholson@richmond.edu