Should the Officer in South Carolina Have Done More to Save Walter Scott's Life?

For many, one of the more troubling elements about the fatal police shooting caught on video in South Carolina is what the officer fails to do afterward. With Walter Scott on the ground dying from his wounds, the police officer handcuffs him, but he appears to do little if anything to help him. We've seen similar scenes in Cleveland with the death of Tamir Rice and here in New York with Eric Garner, who died after being placed in a choke hold. 

So in the event of an altercation, when and how are police expected to administer first aid?

"You want to make sure the scene is safe. You want to provide for the safety of the officer and the people around. And then if the suspect is injured, you want to at least call an ambulance, if not administer some first aid," said criminal defense attorney and former NYPD officer Peter Gleason. 

According to various media reports, North Charleston Police Officer Michael Slager did call for an ambulance after he shot and killed Walter Scott. 

Gleason said handcuffing suspects no matter their condition after a shooting or an altercation is also standard practice in many U.S. police departments. That's because an injured person might still try to lunge for a weapon even though they're on the ground and seemingly incapacitated. But Gleason said officers should use more discretion when deciding to escalate a confrontation.

"In retrospect, I'm sure the officer wished he would have just let Mr. Scott run away," Gleason said to WNYC's Richard Hake. "There's an adage in old school police work. We'll get the guy tomorrow. It's not worth losing your life or your career. And think of how many families have been destroyed by this."

Slager was fired and charged with murder. South Carolina and federal law enforcement officials are continuing to investigate the incident.