Zachary Hammond was shot and killed by Seneca Police Department officers in South Carolina. The attorneys representing Hammond’s family now say they have a witness who claims seeing officers high-fiving the dead young man, reported the Guardian.
Attorneys Eric Bland and Robert Richter sent a letter to the U.S. Attorney General and FBI Director requesting a civil rights investigation into Hammond’s death. In the letter, the attorneys revealed that a witness claims the Seneca police officers desecrated Hammond’s body, raising his limp, lifeless hand and high-fiving it.
“A police officer with a neighboring police force has confirmed to [the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division] SLED that the Seneca Police Department celebrated the killing of Zachary by desecrating his corpse,” stated the letter. “After Zachary had been shot and killed, member(s) of the Seneca Police Department lifted his dead hand and ‘high fived’ Zachary Hammond.”
Late last month, Hammond was shot and killed by Seneca Police Lt. Mark Tiller, who claimed Hammond drove his car directly at him during a drug bust. However, autopsy reports show that Hammond was shot in the back and side. If the incident happened exactly how Tiller says, there should be entry wounds in the front of Hammond’s body.
Officials with the Seneca Police Department has ceased commenting to the media about the incident. Tiller is on paid administrative leave while authorities conduct an investigation.