SC law officers cleared in more than 200 shootings

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Police in South Carolina have fired their weapons at 209 suspects in the past five years and not a single officer has been convicted of wrongdoing.

The State newspaper of Columbia reported Saturday (http://bit.ly/1xoD0ik ) that in South Carolina it remains exceedingly rare for a police officer to face charges after pulling the trigger.

In an unusual turnaround, prosecutors late last year filed a spate of charges for use of excessive force against three white officers in the shootings of black drivers. Only one went to trial, resulting in a hung jury.

The newspaper examined five years of data because of the keen public in how often shootings occur as well as whether police fire too often and too quickly.