Walter Scott murder: Police officer Michael Slager pleads guilty in a plea deal
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’s brutal murder of Scott while fleeing after a traffic stop went viral across the Internet, but never made headlines like the Trayvon Martin or Michael Brown cases, even though this was a clear cut case of injustice.
Slager shot Scott in the back as the unarmed man was running away. Slager admitted in court Tuesday that he did not shoot Scott in self-defense and said that his use of force was unreasonable. He had stated otherwise previously.
Michael Slager
Scott’s death sparked renewed Black Lives Matter protests after the 50-year-old’s death, but the mainstream press moved on to other stories.
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.
“What made me feel good about it is that Michael Slager admitted what he did. That was enough years for me,” Scott’s mother 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.”
Attorney General Jeff Sessions has ordered a review of police reform activities of the previous administration — many of which were launched in response to police-involved shootings.
“The Department of Justice will hold accountable any law enforcement officer who violates the civil rights of our citizens by using excessive force,” Sessions said in a statement Tuesday.
“Such failures of duty not only harm the individual victims of these crimes; they harm our country, by eroding trust in law enforcement and undermining the good work of the vast majority of honorable and honest police officers.”
Watch the Dash Cam Video: HERE
A jury at one point was deadlocked and Slager appeared to be possibly free of retribution, that story HERE
photo by Carrie Z. via pixabay
