Posted in: Crime

Dillon Taylor Shooting Verdict: No Charges For Officer Who Shot Unarmed White Man

Dillon Taylor Shooter Cleared Of Charges

The Dillon Taylor shooting verdict is in, and the “non-white” officer who killed the unarmed white man in August will not face charges, a grand jury has decided.

The Taylor case has been referred to in conservative blog circles as the “non-Ferguson.” in that the circumstances were somewhat similar, just reversed, to that of the Michael Brown shooting that grabbed national attention.

The feeling on the right is that the Brown case was not about race, and that opportunistic talking heads were just making it about race in order to grab headlines.

In Brown’s case, he can be seen on video committing a “strong-arm robbery” prior to his fatal encounter with Officer Darren Wilson. Wilson claimed that Brown assaulted him first and then tried to flee.

Wilson maintains that he did nothing wrong in the incident, and a multiracial grand jury found that the evidence supported his claim.

Meanwhile, there is the Dillon Taylor shooting. Taylor was a homeless young man with a blood alcohol content of point-18, much higher than the legal limit of point-08.

In the Taylor case, Officer Bron Cruz, again described by WREG as “non-white,” wore a camera on his uniform and was able to record the deadly shooting.

The video shows that Taylor was backing away from the officer, but refusing to comply with his demands, even uttering at one demand the phrase “Nah, fool.”

Defenders of Cruz note that Taylor made like he was pulling something out of his waistband when Cruz, who said he was “fearing for his life,” shot twice, killing the unarmed suspect.

Taylor had also made some suicidal Facebook posts prior to the incident.

After reviewing the video and other evidence, the grand jury found there was nothing to support indictment, thus reaching the same conclusion as the Ferguson case.

The difference, conservative bloggers have noted, is that the white population isn’t rioting and burning businesses in protest.

Of course, to be fair, there isn’t video of the Michael Brown shooting, only the video of the strong-arm robbery prior to the shooting and then the physical evidence, which, as the Washington Post notes, does seem to back up Wilson’s story that the officer had sufficient cause to feel Brown was a threat.

But what do you think, readers?

Does the verdict in the Michael Brown case and the verdict in the Dillon Taylor shooting coinciding with one another prove that race wasn’t an issue in either case? Sound off in our comments section below.

[Image courtesy of Washington Times]

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Comments

54 Responses to “Dillon Taylor Shooting Verdict: No Charges For Officer Who Shot Unarmed White Man”

  1. Jeff Hart

    Boy look at all of those white people rioting and burning down businesses. In this article the incident is refereed to as a killing, but in the Brown shooting they refer to it as murder. Nope, no double standards with the press huh.

  2. Aric Mitchell

    Appreciate the comment. One note: the Brown incident is not referred to as murder in this particular article. In fact, it states that the physical evidence supports Officer Wilson's story. I do understand and appreciate the bias you're referring to, though. There has been too much trial-by-press out there, I'll admit.

  3. Jeff Hart

    Aric Mitchell Not from this article but almost every other article written Wilson was referred to as murdering Brown. This article is very well written. Looks like there are a few reporters that do their job correctly. Thanks for doing it the right way.

  4. Anonymous

    Burn this mother fucker DOWN!.. Oh wait just not the 99 cent store.. or the place where I get my hair cut.. or the gas station I will need gas hmm i would say the bank but I will need to take out money eventually , the supermarket looks like a good candidate but oh crap my kids got to eat. Crap im tired Lets all go home and figure out what to burn later. on.

  5. Anonymous

    In the last 3 shootings I am aware of at least 2 should not have Happened . This shooting and the Tamir Rice shooting are totally uncalled for. In this shooting it does not appear the Guy was really that much of a threat that a Taser would not have taken care of, The Tamir Rice was just handled poorly, officers just charged the scene when they obviously had plenty of time to access the situation as no one was in any immediate danger as is obvious by the video on it. The Brown shooting opened new areas once Brown attacked officer Wilson, there could have been a differing outcome but 20-20 is hindsight, The police force has become in my opinion to deadly, yes we do not want policemen killed, we should not want anyone killed

  6. James Alexandrios Love

    Thank god, when I read non-white, I knew it had to be a Smurf that killed him. Damn those blue people.

  7. Sam Sissiorbell

    No move just do as we always do in tennessee ,mothers cry family's grieve bury our loved one until the next time police kill.No protests ,no riots or looting no burning just sadness and when will it stop as one mother asked.pity

  8. Todd Headlee

    I think the mere fact that one involves a white cop killing an unarmed black man, the other a black cop killing an unarmed white man, and only ONE of them got any real media attention on a national scale — and we all know which that one was — shows this whole media brouhaha was ALL about "RACE". I don't recall Al the so-called "Reverend" Sharpton showing up in Salt Lake City to protest the Dillon Taylor shooting. No riots in Salt Lake City after the verdict. "Nuff said.

  9. Rhonda Keen

    Sooooo, it's not about black or white, it's about shooting first and questioning the suspect later. It's much easier to do that when they're dead.

  10. Dean Steagall

    I'm not a know it all, or know ALL the facts of the two cases. Physical evidence along with the officers testimony and the ever changing witness accounts versus video of a person backing away and non complying along with some suicidal FB post…… According to the evidence and the interpretation of the evidence there was multiple reasons to believe the person was a continued threat which officers are required to control or end that possibility of a continued threat…There are better ways as mentioned in the article and will soon be implemented in training. The other is a person backing away and not doing what they are told while reaching for their waistband??? What if their pants were falling down and they were just trying to catch them? These two cases aren't really at all alike. Sounds like Utah and Cleveland are more alike in that the supposed threat was viewed and reacted to without any consideration of what was really going on. Yes the kid should have known better that to point even a toy gun at an officer let alone one who is pointing they're real gun at them. But the officer clearly assumed the worst from a child. Did he have suicidal posts on Facebook too?

  11. W.w. Webweaver

    I think a much larger more important question is why so many mentally ill men such as Dillon Taylor wind up on the street, get wrapped up in crime, gangs, substance abuse, and feel like prison or suicide by cop are their only options. Supposedly Utah has been investing a lot of effort into providing proper & affordable housing for the homeless. It's a shame Mr Taylor didn't get into a housing / rehab / treatment / employment program of some kind before this tragedy struck.

  12. Dave Wallace

    this is linked from another national inquirer story calling this a great deal of national attention story like Ferguson. Nice try, but hardly so.

  13. Rhonda Piper-Bigley

    Actually, according to Dillon Taylor's brother, Dillon was confused because he'd had headphones on and hadn't realized the police were even talking to him at first. When he did realize, he reached down to adjust his pants so he could get on the ground. He had no weapon on his person and he was not moving in a threatening way toward the police. I think it's a shame more people didn't react to Dillon Taylor's killing (not with violence, of course) because it certainly does deserve some attention and concern. There are way too many police officers getting away with unjustified shootings or harming people in other ways. I understand being a police officer is a dangerous, scary job, but that doesn't mean they should become dangerous, scary people themselves and it should not excuse them for killing citizens without a REAL, not imagined or possible, reason.

  14. Greg Rennick

    Interesting. This is the first of heard of this story. Similar incident and results as Ferguson (minus the rioting, looting and violence) but not plastered all over the Liberal slanting news outlets.
    I guess cherry picking news stories to report on that will create the biggest uproar, increase ratings and making assumptions before all the facts are in is what they teach Journalists today as being fair and balanced.

  15. Sam Sissiorbell

    To show that tennessee will hire any thug or coward to be a police officer three tennessee officers stopped three young teenagers and ask about a break-in.As the officers[ or thugs] where questing them one of the boys said,what about Miranda ? one of the officers answered ' who is Miranda? was she with you when you robbed the place? come own and giver her up.I rest my case.

  16. Dov Bechhofer

    Apparently, it doesn't matter when a White is killed.

    No, I'm not saying that the officer was wrong in this instance. But the differences in media response are pretty damning.

  17. Sam Sissiorbell

    Being age 65 and knowing how it is to live without rights and little freedom here in my small tennessee community in a way I can understand the people of Ferguson that protested not looting and burning.I would love to say what I feel but since police monitor these sites I have to watch what I say because at my age I cant stand another police beating by tennessee police.But anybody would get fed up by having police harass you everyday and the killings of unarmed people because of your race or religion or whatever causes it to happen.I cant judge MIKE BROWN or officer WILSON I wasn't their I don't no what went down because to many people are telling to many different stories.But I will say this to the young people ,rioting and looting is wrong and to the police I will say stop the harassment and the beatings and the killing of unarmed people enforce the law as it was meant to be and stop with the street justice.I would give just about everything I have to go through one 24 hour day without tennessee police beating some poor soul or killing someone just one day is that asking to much from the people that you pay? my opinion

  18. Wale Osunla

    Except the cop who shot Taylor wasn't white? Even Dillon Taylor's brother described him as a bald white man.

  19. Anonymous

    Backing AWAY from the KILLER PIG is not the same as advancing upon a cop you had earlier assaulted.
    The two cases are quite different and I would have voted to indict this 'officer' trash.

  20. Guevara Gill

    There was a recording of the incident. Maybe if there was a recording in the Brown case, ppl wouldn't have gotten so riled up. A he said she said case. This guy also had a death wish as per this article.

  21. Miles Wiggins

    "Taylor was a homeless young man with a blood alcohol content of point-18….Taylor had also made some suicidal Facebook posts prior to the incident." WTF, am I the only one that see this, why does a homeless man have facebook?

  22. Mia Lockett

    They were both unarmed and both are dead! White, black, red or green…..death is colorless. It doesn't care where you live, what type of car you drive, if you have children, go to prestigious schools. The facts are that the media is the circus and we are the people that pay a ticket to watch the show, we look and play with the clowns and get distracted so easily. If #MichaelBrown is really about injustice, what about #DillonTaylor? What about him? What about the others that we don't know about. Our reaction is based upon what the media want us to react to what we are selectively being shown and being told. Selective information is doing to us what the cops did to Michael Brown and Dillon Taylor. Everytime we turn on our televisions we are unarmed and ready to fight a cause without all the information and facts. If we think we have the facts on Michael and Dillon…we are sadly mistaken! Open your eyes!!!

  23. Mia Lockett

    Most definitely! Which term will have you turning on your television to watch it? This just in Jeff Hart was killed by a clown today while at the circus, or Jeff Hart was murdered today by a clown at the circus. I would want more details on the later. People get killed every day, no big deal to watch. It's all about the ratings and what is going to be the story producer. It's the WOW, the X Factor story that result in bigger checks across the board. Why do you think we have such a big issue with race, yes, we grew up with it….just stop and think….who shoves it down our throat more than our family and friends? THE MEDIA!! I wish someone else could wake up with me!

  24. Mia Lockett

    Todd you are almost there, you are coming awake and opening your eyes! It's all about the WOW factor, what will get the ratings, what will get the people turning on the news and watching. I know for a fact that I get more racial division thrown at me from the news than I do from family and friends. When the media descended on lil ole' Ferguson propelling the town to stardom, there were those ready to put on a show!! They performed and we watched in subliminal awe like at the circus! Did anyone other than me notice that when everything died down, and the spot light dimmed, out of the blue, they were doing stupid stuff again to get back in the spotlight? Next time you are watching the news, turn from channel to channel and watch how the story differ and when mass killings happen, how one station always has a higher number. Our racial divide is motivated by something other than just us!!! Think about it!

  25. Mia Lockett

    Why is it that Dillon's death couldn't have the same coverage as Mike's? The issue is unarmed men being killed. Why couldn't they been tased?

  26. Jeff Hart

    Mia Lockett If it were just to get people to read or watch, then they would give both sides of the story. MOST of the media just presented material that Officer Wilson killed Brown because of his race. Hardly any article mentioned the FACT that Brown tried to get hold of the officers gun. Tried to get away from the officer. Not one said that Brown should've just complies with the officers commands and he would be alive today.

  27. Jeff Hart

    Hope Ferguson Check your facts, more people die at Walmart on black friday at mostly black stores. There has never been a person shot at a white store for a pair of shoes or a flat screen TV.

  28. Clarence Campbell Sr.

    im confused by the posts, what are you trying to say that black people should riot in utah too.

  29. Mia Lockett

    I am upset and equally pissed off that another unarmed citizen is dead! Why are these people not being tased? Why are these officers using lethal force. What really pisses me off is when we allow the media to get us all hyped up on what is "rating" worthy news. Of course they would rather use the death of a black person by a white person so that they can use this to give ideas to the not so intelligent opportunist that exist. Both something we need to really look at. Our individual cities are steadily raising our taxes to purchase equipment for our law enforcement. Body cameras, tasers, classes, self defense training…all of this…..but instead of trying to use them, they would rather shoot us. My prayers are with the family of Dillon Taylor. This case has already went to trial and now, we are hearing about it after the fact. So sad!!!

  30. Mia Lockett

    That you know of Jeff Hart! Exactly, that's what I just said Jeff!!! The media presented that Wilson killed Brown because of race…..I'm not sure where you live Jeff, however, most people that I know, know without a doubt, when an officer speak to you, you say, yes and no ma'am or sir. If they say get down, you get the hell down. I taught my children this while they were young. You don't back talk, you shut up and we can work it out in court if needed. And just for general purposes because my children may encounter a Jeff Hart that think they don't what to do when faced with law enforcement. I am going to make sure they watch Chris Rock's how not to get your ass beat by the cops video ASAP!!!

  31. Mia Lockett

    Jeff Hart No Jeff, they will not give both sides, that usually unfolds later.

  32. Mia Lockett

    Andrew Ward and that would prove what? That it can't be edited, lost or photo shopped. Come on Andrew…come on!!!

  33. James Moore

    Well, given the fact that he was a convicted criminal with a warrant out for his arrest, i would hope the white community wouldnt riot. They have actual confirmation he was a thug right…..Wheres all of the post saying he brought it on himself? Wheres the condemnations of his upbringing?

  34. James Moore

    He was drunk, resisting arrest and had a warrant. Im the racist for seeing the difference in how much sympathy is displayed for this guy than any of the other countless unarmed black men shot by police?

  35. Eruanion Nolaquen

    Actually, completely different circumstances. We have video of this incident, that supports the officers statements. In the Brown case, we have a video of him committing a crime prior to and unrelated to the incident. As for the alleged robbery, some points that make me wonder if it was a robbery. Most thieves don't stop to grab dropped loot when leaving the scene, simply because time is a factor. Most stores of that nature lock up the larger boxes of cigars and cigarettes, making me wonder how they were in his reach, and if they were, why he delayed so long between grabbing each of the two boxes (which were returned). Showing him committing an alleged crime proves nothing about whether the incident occurred in the manner suggested by the officer, though the physical evidence on the suspects body does support the counter story.

  36. Les Walker

    why is it that every shooting is fatal? why is it that the suspects aren't wounded instead of killed? This is more than a black and white situation..it is a police problem and how they are trained. Sadly we the public will never get the whole truth as we are not privy to the actual evidence. Sad for all of the families involved including the officers who may have been justified..but sadly there is always going to be doubt and suspicionm

  37. Karen Greene Braithwaite

    This cop is not black. And Taylor is not white. Get the facts straight. These are both Hispanic males.

  38. Karen Greene Braithwaite

    Wale Osunla He's clearly a white Hispanic. People need to stop trying to "make" news. Dillon Taylor is also believed to be Hispanic, and the caller identified him as such. The fact that the other men he was with were his "family" and clearly men of color further supports this.

  39. Anonymous

    The cop shot an innocent man….and with regard to self defense…if it's OK! to shoot someone simply because they put there hand near their pocket there's going to be a lot of shooting going on. Someone just littered on my driveway so I grabbed that 15 year old boy, I said don't move and he kept pulling I remembered that choking someone to restrain them is OK! according to the grand jury so I put my arm around his throat and squeezed, the boy died. I told the cops that he shouldn't have littered and the cops gave me a high 5. The moral of the story isn't " don't litter" it's change how a grand jury works, there needs to be accountability when cops kill innocent people. What if everyone went around shooting cops because it looked like they had a hand grenade but was nothing more than the ole' jelly donut? Would everyone get off because they thought the cop was dangerous…?

  40. Anonymous

    I watched the frame by frame video and it reminded me of the explanation from cops about how and why Rodney King was beaten by all those officers. ( The cops were so guilty but the frame by frame explanation seemed to work magic on that jury ) It looks like Taylor was just pulling up his pants as I noticed them drooping….Are the police going to shoot all the people that have low slung waist bands? People shouldn't be murdered because they're simply walking away. Maybe he wanted to hide some pot? Should he die for that reason? Maybe he couldn't hear the cops commands because of his headphones? The officer jumped the gun ( literately ) The boy shouldn't have been killed. Just another cop uck up and cover up!

  41. Marcus Hooks Jr.

    No rioting or looting because this isn't a common case. History shows more black men have died at the hands of officers than whites. I bet if enough whites were gunned down by cops, then this would be a different scenario. I can't recall a time in American history where whites had to riot and protest so that they could sit at a "Blacks Only" restaurant or use a "Blacks Only restroom." Can anyone recall that time in history where whites weren't considered free or even equal to blacks? or when whites picked cotton fields and were brought over to America in ships, chained, shackled and against their will? I don't recall either. It's one thing to say you're not racist and that you believe in equality but it's ignorant to say that it doesn't exist. Although, I do believe the media is exploiting this issue to drive a wedge within the country (divide and conquer). But does anyone think to ask why them doing this is so affective? It's because racism, stereotypes, discrimination etc, still exist. These are the behaviors our country was founded upon and the people who our in power still uphold these behaviors. #WakeUp

  42. Lorena Aguilar

    Not a common case? Just because the media doesn't sell it for ratings doesn't mean it's common. Please review public records before claiming such statistic. Good day.

  43. Verna Light Mahaney

    My condolences to the family and friends. I just now heard about this happening today Christmas day.

    I also sorry that it is not getting the same coverage that the other colors got. I do believe that it is because the color is reversed. My prayers are for you the family and friends and anyone else that joins your cause get what you all are setting your site's on.

    Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I know right now that you didn't want the wish of the holiday's but it will help later I know I lost my mother at thanksgiving years ago and thought I would never want to hear or be wished have a happy whatever holiday but somewhere along the way it gets easier.

    My prayers are with all of you for strength to get through the hard times and to get through your trials to get the justice that is deserved. I wish you peace and love.

  44. Cindy Anne

    …I am sick of hearing about racism as an excuse for anything that happens to any black man. Stop blaming everyone and do something to change the story if you don't like the story being told. Millions of Jews were killed in the Holocaust…don't hear them all blaming the German man for holding them back, do you?