Cincinnati Cop Ray Tensing Indicted On Murder Charge After Body Cam Video Shows Him Killing Samuel DuBose

Ray Tensing has been indicted on murder and involuntary manslaughter charges for the shooting death of Samuel DuBose.

Cincinnati Cop Ray Tensing Charged With Murder Of Samuel DuBose

Tensing, a former University of Cincinnati police officer, pulled DeBose over on July 19 after noticing that DuBose was missing a license plate on the front of his vehicle. Video footage from Tensing’s body cam shows him shooting DuBose while he remains in his car.

Tensing, who is white, had claimed that DuBose, a black man, had been aggressive towards him leading up to the shooting. The video of the shooting contradicts his account.

“I’ve been doing this for over 30 years. This is the most asinine act I’ve ever seen a police officer make — totally unwarranted,” said Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters, who announced the charges against Tensing. “It’s an absolute tragedy in the year 2015 that anyone would behave in this manner. It was senseless.”

“People want to believe that Mr. DuBose had done something violent towards the officer — he did not,” Deters added. “He did not at all. I feel so sorry for his family and what they lost, and I feel sorry for the community, too.”

Tensing, who turned himself in Wednesday, has pleaded not guilty to murdering DuBose. He is being held on $1 million bond. If convicted, Tensing could face 15 years to life in prison.