Prosecutors and police are investigating the fatal shooting of a black man in Cincinnati by a white University of Cincinnati police officer after the officer stopped the man for driving without a front license plate.
Officer Ray Tensing shot Samuel Dubose once in the head on July 19 after what has been described as a brief struggle. Dubose was unarmed at the time.
Tensing is now on paid leave while officials investigate the shooting. He joined the campus police force in April, 2014, according to a school public administration officer. He had previously worked for five years on the police force in Greenhills, Ohio.
Hamilton County Prosecutor Joseph Deters said in an online statement that his office expects to complete their investigation "before the end of next week."
The shooting comes during the same week that a 28-year-old black woman was pulled over in Prairie View, Texas, for not signaling to change lanes. The woman, Sandra Bland, was arrested, jailed and later found dead in her cell.
This is #SamuelDubose another Black Person murdered by the police. We haven't even buried #SandraBland yet. Wtf pic.twitter.com/0qAp2nFNnI— Moneer Elmasseek (@Pharaohofhearts) July 23, 2015
Tensing reportedly pulled Dubose over after noticing a missing front plate on her car. Dubose allegedly did not turn over his driver's license when asked, then showed the officer a bottle of alcohol and refused to get out of his car.
University of Cincinnati Chief of Police Jason Goodrich said Tensing was briefly treated at a hospital for bruises to his legs after the struggle. Dubose died at the scene.
Tensing was reportedly wearing a body camera at the time of the encounter. Neither the police nor prosecutors have made that video public yet.
Residents have gathered at the intersection in the days since his death on Sunday night.
A memorial at Rice & Valencia where a UC Police Officer shot and killed a man. Sign reads "RIP Samuel Dubose" @WCPO pic.twitter.com/ZgFhUS7IdB— Ally Kraemer (@AllyKraemer) July 20, 2015
Currently w/students&community members on campus demanding transparency for the killing of #SamuelDubose by campus pd pic.twitter.com/r3lq8pqDRk— Aaryn Green (@DrG_2Be) July 21, 2015
Dubose reportedly had his drvier's license suspended in January, and had previously been charged with dozens of traffic and drug violations. But his mother, Audrey Dubose, said he had never tried to fight before.