Walter Scott Shooting Update: Officer Michael Slager Indicted For Murder In North Charleston
UPDATE, noon EDT: Chris Stewart, the attorney for the Scott family, said Slager’s indictment was “just step one,” according to Post and Courier reporter Andrew Knapp. The family plans to file a federal civil suit in the coming weeks.
The grand jury saw the evidence regarding Slager’s case on Monday and returned the indictment quickly, the Washington Post reported. No other officers faced charges. “The jury will make up its own mind after it sees the video and hears the other testimony," prosecutor Scarlett Wilson told reporters.
Andy Savage, Slager’s lawyer, said the indictment was part of a process. He reportedly declined to comment further because the state hasn’t turned over evidence to him.
Original story: A South Carolina grand jury indicted former North Charleston police officer Michael Slager on Monday for the murder of Walter Scott. Slager could face between 30 years and life in prison without parole for fatally shooting Scott, an unarmed black 50-year-old, during an April 4 traffic stop, WCIV reported.
Slager, 33, was charged with murder on April 7, after a video of Scott running from Slager went viral online. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division then investigated the shooting and turned the evidence over to the grand jury, ABC News reported.
The Ninth Circuit Solicitor's Office is set to try Slager's case. He had not entered a plea as of Monday morning, and no trial date had been set.
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