Former South Carolina police officer, Michael Slager, has just been indicted in the death of Walter Scott. Slager is facing federal civil rights charges. He was indicted on three charges such as obstruction of justice and violating constitutionally protected civil rights.
Video shows Slager shooting Scott five times in his back. He was fired from his job and arrested back in April 2015. The U.S. Department of Justice released a statement saying,
The indictment alleges that Michael Slager, while acting as an NCPD Officer, used excessive force when he shot and killed Walter Scott without legal justification. Slager was also charged with obstruction of justice for making false statements to South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) investigators with the intent to impede the investigation into the shooting. The indictment alleges that Slager intentionally misled SLED investigators by claiming that Scott was coming toward him with a taser at the time that Slager fired his weapon, when in truth, Scott was running away.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Slager faces a maximum sentence of life in prison for the civil rights violation, as well as a potential $250,000 fine.
Chris Stewart, who is an attorney for Scott’s family says,
“This is history. It could be a turning point in history that the federal government is no longer going to sit on the sidelines. They’re going to make police officers face federal justice.”
If you have no seen the tragic shooting, check it out below.
Source: Complex
