On a spring morning in North Charleston, South Carolina, a routine traffic stop escalated into a fatal encounter that would capture the nation's attention. Walter Lamar Scott, a 50-year-old Black man, was behind the wheel of his 1991 Mercedes on April 4, 2015, when he was pulled over by North Charleston police officer Michael Slager for a non-functioning brake light. Dashcam footage shows the initial interaction between the two men, but the situation quickly unraveled.
Scott exited his vehicle and fled on foot, with Slager in pursuit.
The chase led them to a lot behind a pawn shop where a physical altercation occurred. Slager deployed his Taser, striking Scott. Despite the Taser, Scott managed to get up and run away from the officer. What happened next was captured on a cellphone video by a bystander, footage that would prove to be pivotal. The video showed Slager firing eight rounds at the fleeing, unarmed Scott, striking him five times in the back, buttocks, and ear. The fatal wound, according to the forensic pathologist, was a bullet that entered his back and struck his heart and lungs. In his initial report and radio dispatch, Slager claimed he had feared for his life because Scott had taken his Taser. However, the video contradicted this account, showing Slager shooting Scott from a distance as he ran away. The footage also appeared to show Slager dropping an object, later identified as the Taser, near Scott's body after the shooting.
The release of the bystander's video led to a swift response. Michael Slager was arrested on April 7, 2015, and charged with murder. The North Charleston Police Department also fired him. The case moved through both state and federal court systems. Slager's state murder trial began in late 2016, but after a month of testimony from 55 witnesses, the jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict, resulting in a mistrial in December of that year.
In addition to the state charge, Slager faced federal charges, including violating Scott's civil rights, obstruction of justice, and unlawful use of a weapon. In May 2017, Slager reached a plea agreement in federal court, pleading guilty to a federal civil rights charge of using excessive force. As part of this plea deal, the state murder charges were dropped. On December 7, 2017, a federal judge sentenced Michael Slager to 20 years in prison, ruling that the shooting constituted second-degree murder. An appeal by Slager to reduce his sentence was denied in 2021. The family of Walter Scott also received a $6.5 million settlement from the city of North Charleston.
