OFFICER ARRESTED AFTER VIDEO PROVES HE MURDERED SUSPECT (GRAPHIC VIDEO)
The video above was captured by a bystander and shows Michael Slager, a North Charleston Police Officer, shooting Walter Scott, who was wanted for failure to pay child support, in the back as he ran from Slager. Of course Slager accused the dead, who can’t speak for themselves, of taking his taser and attempting to use force against the officer but all that was clearly fabricated. In a even more shocking twist, it seems Slager has been arrested. According to Carlos Miller, founder of Photography is Not A Crime:
The video is so flagrant that Slager’s lawyers immediately dropped him as a client, showing Slager shooting him in the back from at least 40 feet away before calmly walking to him as he speaks into his radio, informing dispatchers of “shots fired.”
North Charleston Police Chief Eddie Driggers also wasted no time in arresting him, calling a press conference today to make the announcement.
According to the Post and Courier:
The footage, filmed by an anonymous bystander, shows the end of the confrontation between the two on Saturday after Scott, who had a warrant out for his arrest, ran from a traffic stop. It was the first piece of evidence that could contradict a statement that Slager released to the public through his attorney.
SLED spokesman Thom Berry said Tuesday that he could not confirm whether the agency has the video.
“All I can say is that our investigation is continuing,” Berry said, “and it would be inappropriate for us to discuss any specifics at this time.”
Attorney David Aylor, who released a statement on Slager’s behalf earlier this week, said Tuesday that he wasn’t representing the officer anymore.
“I’m no longer involved in form or fashion,” Aylor said.
Slager has said through Aylor that Scott had wrested his Taser from him during a struggle. The officer felt threatened when he fired, his attorney said.
Thankfully this ‘bystander’ was filming this jackbooted thug otherwise he would have gotten away with cold blooded murder. I’m extremely happy this officer will face the consequences of his actions, though I’m not sure the ‘justice’ system will provide true justice, but we should take a moment to realize that this happens all too often. Most the time planting a gun or having other cops back your story is enough to justify a police officer killing someone, as Joseph Julicher has lighted here at CopBlock, but when you catch them lying with video, even the thin blue line has to cut ties with you.
I’ll keep you up to date as the story develops.
