Judge refuses release of dashboard tape

AIKEN, S.C. (AP) _ A judge has refused to release to the public the videotape from a dashboard camera that captured the fatal December shooting of an Aiken police officer. The Aiken Standard reports that Judge Doyet “Jack” Early on Thursday granted a request from lawyers for the man charged with killing Master Public Safety Officer Scotty Richardson to keep prosecutors from releasing the tape. The restraining order is temporary and whether to release the tape or not will be taken up again at a hearing Feb. 27. Richardson was killed Dec. 20 during a traffic stop. A second officer with him was also shot, but his bulletproof vest kept him from serious injury. A second Aiken officer was killed in a shooting just over a month later.