The Washington Post and other national media have highlighted the story of a South Carolina teenager who was shot to death by police last month while on a date with a 23-year-old young woman.
His family wants to know why there is no outrage.
Zachary Hammond, 19, was driving his car when police attempted to make a stop. During the course of the encounter, Hammond was shot twice, in the shoulder and torso. A private autopsy commissioned by the family revealed that both shots came from the back.
His date, Tori Morton, was arrested and charged with possession of 10 grams of marijuana.
The details of the stop and the fatal shooting are not unlike others around the country that have resulted in outrage and protest, the family believes. The difference is that Hammond is white and those victims were black.
The family's attorney, Eric Bland, began speaking to the media about the case last week.
"It's sad, but I think the reason is, unfortunately, the media and our government officials have treated the death of an unarmed white teenager differently than they would have if this were a death of an unarmed black teen," Bland told The Washington Post this week. "The hypocrisy that has been shown toward this is really disconcerting."
He added: “The issue should never be what is the color of the victim. The issue should be: Why was an unarmed teen gunned down in a situation where deadly force was not even justified?”
For more information about the case and what led to the shooting, as well as what has happened to the as-yet unnamed police officer involved, click here.
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