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Zachary Hammond was killed by a South Carolina police officer late last month, following a drug sting operation where 10 ounces of weed was recovered, and his family wants to know why the public isn’t outraged. The officer who shot 19-year-old Hammond is an apparent victim of attempted murder, because the teen was allegedly trying to charge at him with his vehicle.  

Autopsy results released Wednesday (Aug. 6) revealed that Hammond was shot twice from behind, with the fatal bullet going through his left side, piercing his lungs and heart. The results discount the officer’s assertion that Hammond was coming towards him when he opened fire.

Hammond’s story is not unlike countless Black men and women who have been murdered by officers claiming self-defense. However, the family thinks that the “white-on-white crime” crime factor is unearthing an hypocrisy.

Reports the Washington Post:

More than a week after Hammond’s death, his family’s attorney says race is almost certainly playing a role in the disconcerting silence. Unlike the victims in the highest-profile police shootings over the past year — in cities from Ferguson and Cleveland to North Charleston and Cincinnati — Hammond was white.

“It’s sad, but I think the reason is, unfortunately, the media and our government officials have treated the death of an unarmed white teenager differently than they would have if this were a death of an unarmed black teen,” Bland told The Washington Post this week. “The hypocrisy that has been shown toward this is really disconcerting.”

He added: “The issue should never be what is the color of the victim. The issue should be: Why was an unarmed teen gunned down in a situation where deadly force was not even justified?”

The Seneca Police Department refuses to release the officer’s name because he’s the victim here. “We will not be releasing the [officer’s] name that was involved in the shooting and consider him a victim of attempted murder as we have previously stated several times,” said Seneca Police Chief John Covington.“We feel that releasing his name may possibly subject the officer and family to harassment, intimidation or abuse.”

So where are the #AllLivesMatter advocates who were so quick to shun #BlackLivesMatter? No one knows.

“They’re called the civil rights organizations, they’re not called the Black rights organizations,” the family’s attorney, Eric Bland, said. “The color of his skin should not matter. White-on-white crime does not get the same impact as white-on-black crime.”

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Photo: screenshot