Dash cam video captures white cop shooting unarmed black man who was reaching for his driver's license

Dash cam video captures white cop shooting unarmed black man who was reaching for his driver's license
(Image credit: YouTube)

A video from a dashboard camera has revealed footage of a white South Carolina state trooper shooting an unarmed black man — who was just reaching for his driver's license at the officer's request.

On Sept. 4, Sean Groubert, who has since been fired, stopped Levar Jones, a 35-year-old black man, for not wearing his seat belt while pulling into a gas station. Video from the officer's dash cam shows Groubert asking Jones for his driver's license — and shooting him when he reaches back into the car for it.

"I just got my license — you said get my license!" said Jones, who is currently recuperating from being shot in the hip. "I don't know what happened... Why did you shoot me?" Groubert replies that Jones "dove head-first" into his car and then "jumped back out."

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Groubert was arrested Wednesday and, if convicted, faces up to 20 years in prison for assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature. Watch the video below. --Meghan DeMaria

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Meghan DeMaria is a staff writer at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked for USA Today and Marie Claire.