Michael Slager charged with federal civil rights violation, obstruction in Walter Scott shooting

[Stellar]

More: PostandCourier

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federal grand jury this week indicted former North Charleston officer Michael Slager on charges of a violating civil rights law and misleading investigators in Walter Scott’s death, a rare measure in police shootings that gives authorities another route to reach a conviction.

Slager, 34, is charged with three crimes.

The chief among them is deprivation of civil rights under the color of law. That statute bars public officials’ abuses of power that violate federally protected “rights, privileges or immunities.” The indictment alleges that Slager was acting with his authority as a policeman when he used unreasonable force — a violation of the Constitution — by shooting Scott five times from behind.

He also was indicted on counts of using a firearm in a violent crime and obstruction of justice after he told state investigators that Scott was coming at him with his own Taser when he fired. A video showed Scott running away.

PDF Federal indictment of Slager
The officer is white and Scott was black, but race is not alleged to have played a role.

Slager is expected to be arrested again under a federal warrant. He has been free on bail since January in the state’s murder case. An arraignment also is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Wednesday in U.S. District Court in downtown Charleston. Scott’s family plans to discuss the development after the proceeding.

The new charges could serve as a backstop if the state’s case against Slager were to fail. Putting him on trial in both state and federal courts for the same shooting would not be double jeopardy because the courts are sovereign entities.

A conviction on the firearms cha...