Michael Slager pleads guilty in shooting death of Walter Scott

HIS NAME IS WALTER SCOTT. In a case that has been under the radar the police officer who murdered Walter Scott has taken a plea to federal charges against him. This wont bring Walter Scott back but Slager wont be on the street to kill anyone else for awhile. George L. Cook III AfricanAmericanReports.Com.

In a plea deal with prosecutors, former South Carolina police officer Michael Slager admitted to using excessive force in the 2015 shooting death of Walter Scott.

Slager shot Scott in the back as the unarmed man was running away from Slager after a traffic stop. In a reversal from his previous account, Slager admitted in court Tuesday that he did not shoot Scott in self-defense and said that his use of force was unreasonable.

With his family and Scott's family present, Slager pleaded guilty Tuesday in US District Court in Charleston to a federal charge of deprivation of rights under the color of law. In exchange for the plea, state murder charges, as well as two other federal charges, will be dismissed.

The civil rights offense has a maximum penalty of life in prison. The plea agreement states that the government will ask the court to apply sentencing guidelines for second degree murder, which carries up to 25 years in prison. He was taken into custody after the hearing and will remain there until sentencing later this year.

Scott's mother said the sentence mattered little to her now that Slager had admitted responsibility.

"What made me feel good about it is that Michael Slager admitted what he did. That was enough years for me," she said in response to the question how much time she wanted Slager to serve.

"No matter how many years Michael Slager gets, it would not bring back my son," she said. "This is a victory for Walter. This is justice for the family, but this is just the beginning."

[SOURCE: CNN]

Black people, if black lives matter then we have to stop ducking jury duty.

If we are really tired of police officers always being acquitted by juries after killing unarmed black men then we as black people have to stop ducking jury duty and serve on these juries. Listen to more below.

Federal grand jury indicts Michael Slager in shooting of Walter Scott

A federal grand jury this week indicted former North Charleston officer Michael Slager on charges of violating a 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.

Chief among the three charges is a count of deprivation of civil rights under the color of law. Public officials are barred under the federal statute from using their powers to violate people’s “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. He’s accused of telling state investigators that Scott was coming at him with his own Taser when he fired. A video showed Scott running away.

The grand jury first met nearly a month ago and handed down the indictment Tuesday. It was made public Wednesday.

Slager, 34, 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 was scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Wednesday in U.S. District Court in downtown Charleston.

Read more: Federal grand jury indicts Michael Slager

Killer of Walter Scott released on bail

A police officer who shot dead a black motorist in South Carolina has been released on $500,000 bail, The Post and Courier newspaper reported Monday.

Michael Slager, who was dismissed from the North Charleston police force after the incident, had been held in jail since his arrest in April for killing 50-year-old Walter Scott.

"The decision was met with gasps from Scott's family and with tears from Michael Slager's wife and parents, who appeared together for the first time in the downtown Charleston courtroom," the daily reported.

"Slager was released at 7 pm after posting $500,000 bail, a jail spokesman said. Under a surety bond, he would have to pay $50,000 of that total," it added.

[SOURCE]