Transcript of Deters' press conference

Here are highlights from Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters' Wednesday press conference on the indictment of Ray Tensing.

Deters: Moments ago, the Hamilton County Grand Jury has returned a murder indictment against Raymond Tensing, who is a University of Cincinnati Police Officer, for the murder of Samuel DuBose. We are going to release the video of this murder here shortly.

I've been doing this for over 30 years. This is the most asinine act I've ever seen a police officer make. Totally unwarranted. It's an absolute tragedy in the year 2015 that anyone would behave in this manner. It was senseless, and I met with the family just moments ago. It's just horrible.

Question from audience: Joe, tell me what makes it murder, under the law?

Deters: Purposeful killing of another, that's what makes it murder. He purposefully killed him.

Q: And when you say it's asinine and totally unwarranted... What contributed to a trained police officer doing something you say is asinine?

Deters: He should never have been a police officer. I work with police every day and they are some of the best people I know. Mr. DuBose simply didn't follow simple, non-violent commands. He was subdued, the cop had his license plate number. It was so unnecessary for this to have occurred. The policemen I know and the investigators I work with everyday, this situation would have never have escalated like this.

People want to believe that Mr. DuBose had done something violent toward the officer; he did not. He did not at all. And I feel so sorry for his family and what they lost. And I feel sorry for the community, too.

Because we've worked so hard to develop great police relationships with the community and to have this type of a senseless act take place in Cincinnati. This doesn't happen in the United States. This might happen in Afghanistan or somewhere... This just does not happen in the United States. People don't just get shot for a traffic stop unless they are violent toward the police officer. And he wasn't. You're gonna see it. He was simply, slowly rolling away. That's all he did.

Q: Also, cops don't get indicted for murder very often in the United States.

Deters: That's true. And you all have covered me for a long time and you know that this office has probably reviewed upwards of 100 police shootings and this is the first time that we thought 'This is without question a murder.'

Q: The officer's attorney told us that the officer was dragged. And the incident report suggests that, too. Does the video show that at all?

Deters: No, he wasn't dragged.

Q: Was he ever knocked to the ground, from the hood of the car to the ground?

Deters: No, he fell backwards after he shot him in the head.

Q: There have been some comments that perhaps this officer was in over his head making this traffic stop and panicked. Is that in any way, shape or form what we see in the video?

Deters: I think he lost his temper because Mr. DuBose wouldn't get out of the car. I think he lost his temper and when you see this [bodycam video] you will not believe how quickly he pulls his gun and shoots him in the head. It's maybe a second. It's incredible, and so senseless, and again, I feel so sorry for his family and I feel sorry for the community. This should not happen, ever.

Q: What did the officer suggest happened in his statement to the police?

Deters: He said he was dragged.

Q: What did you tell Mr. DuBose's family and what was their reaction?

Deters: They're in a very sensitive place right now because of their loss. I simply told them we were seeking a murder indictment for what happened. And I believe we can make them available... if they want to talk to you all.

Q: Have they seen the video?

Deters: They have.

Q: What was their reaction?

Deters: It was horrible. You see your relative get shot in the head. It's horrible.

Q: Is it going to be so horrible that the community or even outsiders will look past or not see the murder... Are you concerned at all about what this is going to possibly cause.

Deters: I think that because we acted as rapidly as we could, we returned a murder indictment against a police officer - and keep in mind this was not Cincinnati, this is the University of Cincinnati - I would hope that people would, as they reflect on this entire situation, realize that we sought justice, which is my job. And did the right thing. And when you all see this video... It's just senseless. It didn't have to happen.

Q: Officer Kidd backed up the story of the report for Officer Tensing.

Deters: We're looking at that entire issue right now. We promised the family that we would look at that. It is our belief that he was not dragged. If you slow down this tape, you see what happened. It takes a very short period time from when the car starts slowly rolling that the gun is out and he's shot in the head.

Q: ... Over the last week and a half, there have been so many calls to release this video earlier. Would you just comment for us, why you insisted this video not be released until now?

Deters: It was an investigatory technique. We have a cop that was the target of an investigation and he was talking. I didn't want the video to be on television and then have, later, witnesses and/or a targeted defendant couch his testimony around that. So, I chose to do that and you all sued me, so congratulations. And you all lose, too.

Q: The family's attorney, yesterday, had said to me that he didn't think it would be an indictment, because getting and indictment on a cop is too hard. And not enough time had passed for an investigation... Can you respond to that?

Deters: I think it was very important that we responded rapidly to this case, especially after we saw the tape. And look, we don't mess around around here. If we think something is awry, we go after it and... A warrant for his arrest has gone out and hopefully they'll pick him up soon.

Q: ... Have you discussed is he going to turn himself in at a scheduled time? Have you talked to his attorney about it?

Deters: I'm treating him like a murderer.

Q: Is he in custody right now?

Deters: They're out to get him. We asked his lawyer to turn him in if he wants, but we're going to arrest him.

Q: As we speak?

Deters: Yes.

Q: You're still going to go forward with the Supreme Court, though, try to get this idea of bodycam as a public record decided, correct?

Deters: We'd like to. We think the issue's probably going to be moot after today, but it would be nice to get some direction from the Supreme Court.

Q: You've worked with officers in many cases and you said you've prosecuted officers before. What should the officer have done in this case? You said he reacted moments before the car slowly rolled away and the officer fired. What should he have done?

Deters: He wasn't dealing with someone who was wanted for murder, he was dealing with someone who didn't have a front license plate. I mean, this is - in the vernacular - a pretty chicken-crap stop, alright? And I could use harsher words. But, nonetheless, if he's starting to roll away, just - seriously - let him go, you don't have to shoot him in the head. And that's what happened.

Q: What's the message to the community or to other police officers, Joe?

Deters: Look, we're gonna follow the law in this office and we are going, if the facts fit the law, we're gonna pursue that no matter if you're a police officer or you're Pope Francis, I don't care who you are, we're gonna go after you.

Q: Is this murder in the first degree? Second degree?

Deters: There's not murder like that in Ohio. This is a purposeful killing of another person.

Q: If convicted, what's the penalty, Joe?

Deters: Life in prison.

Q [from Sharon Coolidge, Enquirer reporter]: What can you tell us about the officer himself. Have you seen any of his background or his records?

Deters: Nothing I'm gonna share with you today... Don't sue me for that, Sherry.

Q: When you stated earlier that he should not have been a police officer, are you referring to this incident or other aspects of his police career?

Deters: I think you have to look at his entire body of work. I don't know that UC could have found it out. And, frankly, I told UC that Cincinnati Police ought to have a District 6 and make it to the University of Cincinnati...

I graduated from UC twice, it's a wonderful university, I love their president, but they're not cops. And we have a great police department in Cincinnati, probably the best in Ohio. And I talked to the chief about it today, and I said 'you guys should be doing this stuff.' And I think he's in agreement with it.

The university does a great job educating people, and they made a lawyer out of me, kinda, and that should be their job. Being police officers shouldn't be the role of this university. I don't think so. Now, they can interview these guys and I'm sure they have great cops in the university police department, but they should be held to the same standard, and if they were with the CPD, they would be held to the same standard in training CPD officers are. And I think it would be a good thing for the university.

Q: Have you been in contact with the university and do you know if he's still employed there?

Deters: He's on administrative, paid leave. And hopefully soon he'll be on administrative paid leave in the justice center.

Q: When you saw this video... share with us went through your mind given your career and what you have seen over the decades.

Deters: I can't say it in front of the media. I was shocked. I realized what this was gonna mean to our community and it really broke my heart...

[Deters shows bodycam video]

Q: Do you think this officer intentionally tried to mislead investigators as to what actually happened?

Deters: Yeah. Yes. I think we was making an excuse for a purposeful killing of another person. That's what I think.

Q: Even with the bodycam video?

Deters: I'm not saying he's smart, I'm just saying what I think he did.