The North Charleston police officer who shot Walter Scott in the back as he was fleeing will not face justice today after the judge declared a mistrial.
A lone juror refused to convict Officer Michael Slager. The cop was accused of the fatal shooting of 50-year-old Walter Scott after pulling his car over for having a broken tail light.
The jury was hung 11-1 with 11 voting to convict Slager of murder in the April 4, 2015 shooting.
After the shooting, Slager radioed a dispatcher, saying, “Shots fired and the subject is down. He grabbed my Taser.”
A citizen’s cellphone video shows Slager draw his service weapon and execute Scott as he ran away.
The video was shown in the media and on the internet and sparked nationwide outrage.
Slager was fired from the North Charleston police force.
Update: On May 11, 2016, Slager was indicted on federal charges of violating Scott’s civil rights and use of excessive force.
On May 2, 2017, Slager pleaded guilty in exchange for dismissing the charges of obstructing justice and use of a firearm during a crime.
Although a state judge told jurors they could consider manslaughter before the mistrial, a federal judge agreed with prosecutors that the “appropriate underlying offense” was second-degree murder.
The judge sentenced Slager to 20 years in prison. There is no parole in the federal justice system.
Slager began serving his sentence in Colorado’s Federal Correctional Institution, Englewood in February 2018.
An appeal for reduction of sentence was denied on January 6, 2019.
In an out-of-court settlement, the City of North Charleston agreed to pay Scott’s family $6.5 million.