Michael Slager, the former North Charleston police officer seen on cell phone video shooting an unarmed Walter Scott in the back numerous times in April of 2015, has been granted bail. The now-bearded Slager, who was originally denied bail in September of 2014, is scheduled to go to trial on murder charges on October 31. All defendants have a right to bail whether they can afford it or not; Circuit Judge Clifton Newman reversed his earlier decision of no bail so that Slager would not be unduly punished by sitting in jail until his trial later this year. Charleston’s Post and Courier newspaper has more on this story.
Newman also denied a request by Slager’s attorneys that they be paid with public monies available for indigent clients. The attorneys made the request last month, stating they hadn’t been paid yet and wanted to be able to bring in expert witnesses.
Slager had stopped the 51-year-old Scott for a nonfunctioning brake light on his car. Scott ran from the traffic stop and Slager gave chase. Witnesses stated that the two struggled briefly at some point. Cellphone video taken by a young man on his way to work shows Scott, apparently immediately after the struggle, running away from Slager who drops his taser and takes out his weapon and fires at Scott about eight times. According to the New York Times, the footage shows Slager picking up the taser, walking over and dropping the weapon next to Scott’s body. Audio obtained by the New York Daily News captures Slager talking about his adrenaline and laughing after the incident.
Black Lives Matter Charleston members protested the decision to grant Slager bail at the North Charleston city hall, demanding the bond be revoked. The group released a statement also calling for a federal prosecutor to ensure that justice is served “after the poor outcomes of the Tamir Rice, and Sandra Bland cases.”