Hammond supporters demand release of videos
SENECA – More than 100 supporters of Zach Hammond rallied in his hometown Saturday, with his parents calling for 10th Circuit Solicitor Chrissy Adams to be removed from the case and demanding the release of videos that could shed light on how their 19-year-old son died at the hands of Seneca Police Lt. Mark Tiller three weeks ago.
"We haven't seen any evidence that she intends to prosecute Lt. Tiller," his tearful mother said of Adams. "Why is anything more important to her than the video? Release the video."
The State Law Enforcement took the dash cam video out of Tiller's patrol car on the night of the shooting, July 26, in the parking lot of Hardee's.
SLED on Friday refused to release the video to The Greenville News, after the newspaper had filed a Freedom of Information Act request. A SLED spokesman said to do so now could harm its investigation.
Seneca Police Chief John Covington has said Tiller shot Hammond in self-defense, believing that he was trying to run over him with his car during an attempted drug arrest.
Protocol calls for SLED to turn the results of its investigation over to the Solicitor's Office for a determination of whether any charges should be filed.
Attempts to reach Adams for comment have been unsuccessful.
"Zach didn't do anything to deserve two bullets in his back," his mother said. "No one has been able to explain how and why this happened."
An enthusiastic crowd that included some people from as far away as Charleston, chanted, "All lives matter!" and "No justice, no peace!"
The Rally for Justice was organized by Jack Logan, founder of the Greenville-based group Put Down the Guns Now Young People.
No police officers were in sight during the more than hourlong event at a small park off Main Street.
Logan urged the voters of Seneca to show their disgust with the way the police department has handled this case at the polls.
"There's enough people out here today to get those people out of office," he said, naming Mayor Dan Alexander and members of Seneca City Council.
"What are they trying to hide?" he said. "There's something wrong in this town and it's called transparency with this sorry police department."
Alexander and Covington could not be reached for comment.
Zach's father, Paul Hammond, said he has read Tiller's statement of the incident and he "tries to make himself a hero" in it.
"A hero is not someone who shoots an unarmed teenager in the back," he said.
An independent autopsy done for the family showed that the two shots were fired into his side through the open driver's side window "from back to front," which the family believes indicates Tiller couldn't have been in the path of the car.
State Sen. Karl Allen of Greenville joined the call for authorities to release information in the case.
"On behalf of the citizens of South Carolina, we demand that the truth come out and that the truth be known," he said.
Elder James Johnson of the National Action Network in Charleston gave an impassioned plea for people to demand more openness and fair treatment by the police.
"We no longer can sit back and allow the police to be occupiers in our communities," he said.
The crowd stood in the hot August sun, some wearing blue T-shirts that said, "Justice for Zach," a few holding signs, and many responding heartily to remarks by speakers.
"No other case in this country has had such obstruction," Zach's uncle, Tom McFadden, said, referring to the lack of a video release.
"Open it up! Let us see it!" a man in the crowd shouted.
"Amen," Zach's father said.
This story was originally published August 15, 2015 at 5:58 PM with the headline "Hammond supporters demand release of videos."