Judge Denies Seneca Officers Request to Postpone Deposition in Zachary Hammond Case

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Greenville Online: A federal judge on Friday denied a 90-day postponement of a deposition by the Seneca police officer who shot and killed an unarmed teenager in a Hardee’s parking lot last July, according to a lawyer for the teenager’s family in civil case against him.

The officer’s attorneys had argued in a request for a stay that the deposition could either incriminate him in a federal criminal investigation or hurt his defense in the civil case against him.

U.S. District Court Judge Kevin F. McDonald saw no reason to grant the request by attorneys for Lt. Mark Tiller, the city of Seneca and its police chief “simply because he may be the subject of criminal charges of the ongoing Federal Grand Jury in this matter,” said attorney Eric Bland, who is representing the family of Zachary Hammond, the teenager who was killed.

The judge ordered that Tiller’s videotaped deposition be moved from March 23 to March 25, Bland said.

“Plaintiff is very satisfied with the ruling and desires to proceed henceforth with its civil case pursuant to the Court’s Discovery Scheduling order,” Bland said.

Continue reading this Greenville News article.