"Oh, You're Gonna Shoot Me?"

African-American's are far more likely to be the victims of Police shootings, and are far too often at the center of a decades old narrative with seemingly no end in sight. But the reality is, although excessive force seems to have a preference it has no color.

A witness says that a college student in San Antonio was shot to death Friday after sarcastically asking a campus cop, "Oh, you're gonna shoot me?"

Robert Cameron Redus 23, was an honors student at the University of the Incarnate Word, a private Catholic university founded in 1881. UIW Police Cpl. Christopher J. Carter pulled Redus over at around 2:30 a.m. for allegedly speeding and driving erratically.

“I heard a man say, 'Oh, you're gonna shoot me?' like sarcastic almost," said 22-year-old Mohammad Haidarasl, who heard the altercation from his nearby apartment. Seconds later, Haidarasi that he heard six gunshots.

It remains unclear what events led to Carter firing on Redus. Redus' friends and family were shocked by the outcome. 

"He's not an aggressive person at all," said Sarah Davis, a friend of Redus' family "so the story just doesn't really make sense to any of us."

“He was an integral part of this campus,” Johnny Guajardo, a friend, said at a vigil for Redus on Saturday. “I don't think it is going to be the same without him.”

Carter was put on paid leave.

Although the details of the case are still sketchy. It has been widely reported that Redus was unarmed. So there was absolutely no justification for this campus officer to fire one shot, much less six. 

This story should serve as both a valuable lesson, and a cautionary tale to all of us. Sarcasm has it's place. But not when being confronted by anyone with a gun. Whether they are some sort of law enforcement or not. Sometimes bad judgement has deadly consequences, and although no amount of sarcasm warrants a bullet, it is important to realize that no everyone values our lives as much as we do.

PR