Police Officer Indicted in Walter Scott Shooting

CHARLESTON, SC (WCIV)-CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV) — Solicitor Scarlett Wilson on Monday announced that an indictment has been handed down by a state Grand Jury against former North Charleston police officer Michael Slager for murder. The indictment was filed and handed down on Monday, Wilson said. “The facts that were presented to us by SLED warranted a Grand Jury,” she said. Wilson said Monday Slager faces 30 years to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The indictment against Slager is the only indictment presented to the Grand Jury, she said. She said they hope to hear from Judge Newman soon on when the trial will be scheduled. Scott was killed April 4 after being pulled over by Slager, a North Charleston police officer, for a broken tail light. North Charleston police officials and witnesses on the scene describe a traffic stop in which the driver ran to a nearby alley, tried to take the officer’s Taser and was fatally shot. After cell phone video of part of the incident was sent to the State Law Enforcement Division, the New York Times, and released online, North Charleston officials announced that Slager would face murder charges for shooting Scott as the 50-year-old man was running away. The case of a North Charleston police officer shooting an unarmed man has led to rallies, nationwide attention, calls for law enforcement reform and body camera requirements. In April, leaders in the black community called for Solicitor Scarlett Wilson to be removed from the Walter Scott case, citing a history of mistrust and a relationship they classify as being too friendly with law enforcement.