HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WMBF) — The 15th Circuit solicitor held a news conference Thursday afternoon on the deadly trooper-involved shooting that happened over the weekend in the Longs area.The news conference came hours after meeting with the family of 33-year-old Tristan Vereen who authorities said was shot and killed on Saturday by Master Trooper WB Benton.
During the meeting, the family was shown part of the surveillance video from the yard where the shooting happened, but it didn’t have sound. They said they appreciated seeing the video, but said the angle it was filmed from made it hard to see what happened.
The family held a press conference earlier on Thursday and said they would like to see the rest of the video and they believe that the trooper needs to be held responsible. They added that they believe their loved one was murdered.
"I looked at that video, I saw my son running away, and they pushed him down. He was trying to get away, and they won’t even let him get away. And I say to myself, ’Why did he have to die?’ said Vereen’s father, Nathan Livingston.
Because he's a dumbass who tasered and fought a cop?
The State Law Enforcement Division is the lead agency in the investigation of the deadly shooting.
SLED said Vereen was stopped by Benton on Saturday for an equipment violation. The family said it was a cracked windshield.
“My brother Tristan should not have to die because he had a cracked windshield. A cracked windshield. He’s dead. He’s gone. We’ll never see him again. His kids will grow up without him. All because he had a cracked windshield. There’s no justice in that,” said Vereen’s sister, Miriam.
no, he's dead because he didn't sit and wait for a fix-it ticket, but fled and fought a cop.
Investigators said Vereen drove away and there was a short chase before he crashed his car and took off running.
SLED said when the trooper tried to arrest Vereen there was a struggle and that’s when Benton fatally shot him.
Richardson said there has been some misinformation circulating and his office wanted to show Vereen’s family the video of the incident. He acknowledged that the family still believes that Benton murdered Vereen.
Fifteenth Circuit Solicitor Jimmy Richardson said it’s hard to see everything that happened from the surveillance video because it took place behind a vehicle. But he said Benton used a Taser on Vereen and then put the Taser down. Richardson went on to state that Vereen bit the trooper in the neck during an altercation and then picked up the Taser and used it on the trooper’s neck. That’s when the solicitor said Benton fired his weapon.
“He was in fact armed when he was shot,” said Richardson.
Richardson confirmed that Vereen was shot once in the chest.
Authorities said that Benton suffered injuries during the struggle with Vereen and had to be taken to the hospital. Benton did have to undergo surgery due to the injuries, according to the South Carolina Highway Patrol. The solicitor’s office released pictures showing the trooper’s injuries.