Former S.C. police officer to plead guilty in fatal shooting caught on video

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Washington Post

The former South Carolina police officer caught on video opening fire into at the back of a black man who was running away is expected to plead guilty in federal court Tuesday, according to people familiar with the case.

Michael Slager, who worked for the North Charleston Police Department, had faced both federal civil rights and state murder charges in connection with the April 2015 shooting of Walter Scott, a 50-year-old unarmed motorist who was running away after a traffic stop. The incident was captured on camera by a bystander, and the graphic footage rocketed around news stations and the Internet.

It was not immediately clear whether Slager’s plea would resolve both the state and federal cases, though the parties had discussed such a resolution in the past, the people familiar with the case said. The plea was expected to take place in federal court in Charleston Tuesday afternoon during what was supposed to be a different hearing in the case.

Late last year, Slager went to trial on the state charges, but jurors could not reach a verdict. Slager claimed during that trial that he was justified in shooting Scott because he feared for his life.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/former-sc-police-officer-to-plead-guilty-in-fatal-shooting-caught-on-video/2017/05/02/9a235afe-2f35-11e7-9534-00e4656c22aa_story.html

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Just saw the breaking...

[BumRushDaShow]

1. As a note since so many black men have been killed (possible graphic warning)

This is the video for this case (the video was edited to black-out the section of the video where poor Walter went down).

[ExciteBike66]

2. It's sad that reminders like this are necessary... nt

[secondwind]

4. kudos to the brave immigrant from Dominican Republic who shot the footage. n/t

[BumRushDaShow]

5. Agreed!

This was a textbook case of a lying cop "fearing for his life" from a 50 year old black man running away from him! And I remember the threads on DU with posters asking why he didn't "comply" or whatever. When you are considered "prey" by a hunter, you can make no "correct" move. You have been targeted and will die.

[cstanleytech]

13. Aye that case is one of pure cold blooded murder. nt

[Aristus]

3. If that asshole is sentenced to time served, I'm going to scream bloody murder...

n/t

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

6. Good

[irisblue]

7. Kicking b/c this is important.

It also impresses me that the feds rolled so hard on the ex cop that he pled guilty after the state prosecuter failed to get a conviction in a local court.
trump minions didn't have enough time/awareness maybe to mess this up.

[BumRushDaShow]

8. But as a disparate note - I just saw a breaking that

the cop killers of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge will not be charged by DOJ.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/justice-department-will-not-charge-baton-rouge-officers-in-fatal-shooting-of-alton-sterling/2017/05/02/ac962e66-2ea7-11e7-9534-00e4656c22aa_story.html

[irisblue]

9. A crystal clear difference between an Obama/Lynch DOJ & trump//Sessions DOJ nt

[BumRushDaShow]

10. Yup and this is just the beginning.

[brer cat]

14. +1000

[bettyellen]

11. Wow. The original jury should be hanging their heads in shame.

[BumRushDaShow]

12. Sadly

they (i.e., those who refused to convict) probably don't care.

[John1956PA]

15. Lone holdout juror

December 5, 2016:

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/crime-courts/jury-says-it-s-deadlocked-trial-officer-who-shot-walter-n691291 :

A lone juror said Friday he can't convict a former police officer who fatally shot a black man in South Carolina, and the jury said they want to continue deliberating.

The juror in a letter to the court said "I cannot in good conscience consider a guilty verdict" against Michael Slager, a white former patrolman who pulled over Walter Scott in North Charleston, and ended up shooting him as a bystander recorded the incident on video.

The jury foreperson said in a separate note to the court that it was only one juror who was "having issues," Circuit Judge Clifton Newman said. The juror opposed to conviction said in the letter, "I cannot and will not change my mind," Newman said.

[bettyellen]

16. Thanks- it helps in some small way knowing it was only one.