Woman in car when teen was fatally shot by officer speaks publicly for the first time

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WEBVTT WANTS JUSTICE.AT HER ATTORNEY'S OFFICE INWALHALLA, TORI MORTON, WHO WAS APASSENGER IN THE CAR THE NIGHTZACH HAMMOND WAS SHOT AND KILLEDBY SENECA POLICE, SAYS SHE WANTSCLOSURE.>> I WISH IT WOULD HAVE NEVERHAPPENED.I WISH -- I WANT CLOSURE.I WANT THE POLICE TO DO WHATTHEY ARE SUPPOSED TO.HE SHOULD HAVE NEVER KILLEDZACH.MANDY: ON JULY 26, 2015, TORIAND HER ATTORNEY KEITH DENNY SAYSHE WAS FORCED TO WATCHHAMMOND'S LIFELESS BODY BEINGPULLED OUT OF THE CAR AFTER THESHOOTING IN THE HARDEES PARKINGLOT.SENECA POLICE SAY THEY WEREDOING A DRUG INVESTIGATION ANDSAY HAMMOND DROVE TOWARD LT.MARK TILLER BEFORE THEY SAYTILLER OPENED FIRE.MORTON SAYS OFFICERS TRIED TOGET HER TO CORROBORATE THATHAMMOND HAD A GUN.WHEN SHE WOULDN'T, SHE SAYS THEYCHARGED HER WITH SIMPLEPOSSESSION OF MARIJUANA.SHE SAYS SHE DIDN'T HAVE ANYDRUGS ON HER.THAT MARIJUANA CASE IS STILLOPEN, EVEN TWO YEARS LATER.>> I'M SO SCARED OF EVERYTHINTHE PEOPLE THAT ARE SUPPOSED TOPROTECT YOU WHEN NO ONE ELSE CANTRIED TO KILL ME AND DID KILZACH.>> THEY TRIED TO KILL YOU, YOUSAY?>> AND THEY DID KILL ZACH.MANDY: THE SOLICITOR'S OFFICEDECIDED NOT TO PURSUE CHARGESAGAINST SENECA LT. MARK TILLER,BUT THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE ISSTILL INVESTIGATING THE CASE.WE ALSO REACHED OUT TO SENECAPOLICE CHIEF JOHN COVINGTONTODAY.HE TOLD ME HE CAN'T COMMENT ON

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A woman who was in a car with a teenager when an officer opened fire and killed the 19-year-old spoke publicly for the first time on Wednesday. Lt. Mark Tiller shot Zach Hammond on July 26, 2015, in the parking lot of a Hardee's in Seneca, during an undercover drug sting that targeted Tori Diana Morton, 23, who was a passenger in Hammond’s car.Morton spoke during a news conference alongside her attorney, Keith Denny, as they discussed the shooting and a lawsuit Morton filed.(Scroll down to read more about the lawsuit) “She was in a panic. She was scared. She was drug out of the car, a knee put in her back. Forced onto the pavement as police drug Zach’s body out of the car and dropped on the pavement,” Denny said.Denny said Morton has spent the past two years trying to get her life back together.“She’s scared to death to even be in Oconee County right now,” Denny said.Morton said justice needs to be served. "I need closure. He (Mark) took Zach’s life and he’s taken two years of mine. I need this to be over. We need justice.” When asked how the past two years have been like Morton said she’s scared of everything. "The people that are supposed to protect you when no one else can tried to kill me. They did kill Zach.”When asked what justice would mean to her, Morton said “I wish it would have never happened. I wish...I want closure. I wish the police would be what they are supposed to be. He should have never killed Zach.” Morton files lawsuitThe lawsuit names the Seneca Police Department, Police Chief John Covington and Tiller, who was fired from the department about a year after the shooting. The lawsuit claims Seneca police held open a marijuana case to intimidate her to keep her from cooperating with federal investigators.The lawsuit also alleges that police took Morton to several locations to be interviewed the night of the shooting without recording the interviews, and that they threatened to arrest her if she didn't corroborate their version of what happened.The lawsuit says Morton had no illegal drugs in her system and that a baggie of marijuana found in the car's glove box belonged to Hammond, not her.Morton is seeking unspecified damages for pain and suffering.Seneca Police said they cannot comment on pending litigation. Hammond’s family settled a civil lawsuit last year against the city of Seneca, the Police Department, Covington and Tiller for $2.15 million.