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Bond denied for North Charleston police officer charged with murder
Morning rally planned at city hall
UPDATED 9:22 AM EDT Apr 08, 2015
NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) —Bond was denied Tuesday night for a North Charleston police officer who fatally shot a 50-year-old man during a traffic stop.
'THE TRUTH CAME OUT:' SCOTT'S FAMILY SPEAKS OUT ON...
The family of Walter Scott held a press conference Tuesday night to remember their loved one and discuss the shooting that caused his death.
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North Charleston Patrolman First Class Michael Slager, 33, faces a murder charge in connection with the Saturday morning shooting death of Walter Scott. (pictured below)
That announcement of Slager's arrest came at a press conference late Tuesday afternoon from North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey who referred to a video someone recorded of the shooting Saturday morning.
Click HERE to watch video; WARNING: Video is disturbing
The video had been sent to Scott's family and the South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division, Summey said. Police say the video shows Slager shooting Scott as he was running away from the scene. The video appears to show Scott running away from Slager, then Slager firing multiple rounds at Scott.
SHOW TRANSCRIPT
"As a result of that video and bad decisions made by our officer, he will be charged with murder," Summey said.
Mobile users: Click HERE to hear from Mayor Summey
"It's been a tragic day," North Charleston Police Chief Eddie Driggers said.
Police describe what happened
Police say the shooting happened following an attempted traffic stop.
According to NCPD reports released Monday, Slager was conducting a traffic stop of Scott's car for a malfunctioning brake light.
Reports state Scott attempted to flee, resulting in a foot pursuit. Officer Slager then deployed his Taser weapon to detain the driver but was unsuccessful, a spokesperson for the police department said.
Officer charged with murder after shooting man
Police say an altercation then began between Slager and Scott resulting in a fight for the officer's Taser. During the fight, Scott allegedly gained control of the Taser to use it against the officer who then fired his service weapon at the suspect.
The shooting has been under investigation by SLED. If convicted, Slager faces the death penalty or a term of 30 years to life in prison.
Rally planned
A rally is set for Wednesday morning at 9:30 a.m. at North Charleston City Hall. Black Lives Matter will be hosting the event. Watch rally live
Family talks about Scott
SHOW TRANSCRIPT
Scott's family says he was a father of four and spent two years in the Coast Guard.
Mobile users: Click HERE to hear Scott's brother talk about the shooting
Walter's brother, Anthony, described Walter as the extrovert of the family.
"He was the most outgoing out of all of us. He knew everybody. He knew family I didn't know," Anthony said. "He was an outgoing person, loving and kind. That was his nature."
Family attorney Chris Stewart said the family is planning a civil lawsuit.
Click HERE to read what Scott's family had to say after Slager's arrest
Department of Justice releases statement
"The South Carolina Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation has opened an investigation concurrent with the S.C. Law Enforcement Division and are providing aid as necessary to the state investigation," read a statement by the Department of Justice."The Department of Justice Civil Rights Division and the South Carolina U.S. Attorney's Office will work with the FBI in the investigation. The Department of Justice will take appropriate action in light of the evidence and developments in the state case."
Gov. Haley responds
"We have many good law enforcement officers in the field. What happened in this case is not acceptable in South Carolina, nor is it reflective of our values or of the way most of our law enforcement officials act, and I assure all South Carolinians that the criminal judicial process will proceed fully," said Gov. Nikki Haley in a statement."This is a sad time for everyone in South Carolina, and I urge everyone to work together to help our community heal."
NAACP responds
The president of the NAACP SC State Conference, Dr. Lonnie Randolph Jr. released the following statement Tuesday night:
The South Carolina NAACP would like to commend the U.S. Attorney's office, the FBI, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and other law enforcement personnel who assisted in bringing charges against Officer Michael T. Slager in the fatal shooting of Walter L. Scott, an unarmed citizen of North Charleston, South Carolina.
Mr. Scott, a 50-year old African American, had been initially detained during a traffic stop.
Our sympathies go out to the family of Mr. Scott who must endure the heartache that follows such a tragic event. The NAACP will remain engaged locally as members of the community attempt to process the details of this incident.
We acknowledge the brave citizen who captured the shooting incident on video then swiftly released it to the public. I cannot underscore enough how important it is for persons who witness alleged crimes to give an account of what they saw.
The rapid response by law enforcement in this matter does bring some level of comfort to the community in the hopes that the judicial process will render an adequate measure of justice for the victim. We will continue to monitor the investigation and resulting litigation as it moves through the Courts.
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