Walter Scott

People

Walter Scott

On April 4, 2015, at approximately 9:30 a.m., Walter Scott, a 50-year-old unarmed Black man, was shot and killed by North Charleston Police Officer Michael Slager following a traffic stop for a non-functioning brake light. Scott was shot in the back as he ran away from the officer. Bystander Feidin Santana captured the shooting on his cell phone, and the video directly contradicted Slager's initial account of the events, leading to murder charges and ultimately a federal conviction. Officer Michael Slager, a 33-year-old white officer who had served with the North Charleston Police Department for five years, pulled over Scott's 1991 Mercedes in the parking lot of an auto parts store at 1945 Remount Road for a non-functioning third brake light. When Slager returned to his patrol car, Scott exited his vehicle and fled on foot. Slager chased Scott and fired his Taser at him. The chase continued into a lot behind a pawnshop at 5654 Rivers Avenue, where the two men got into a physical altercation. Slager fired his Taser again, but Scott broke free and ran away. Slager then drew his handgun and fired eight rounds at Scott's back as he fled. Five rounds struck Scott—three in the back—killing him. Bystander Feidin Santana recorded the shooting on his cell phone. Santana initially did not share the video out of fear of retribution, but he became angered when the police report differed from what he had witnessed. He shared the video with Scott's family and local news media. The video showed Slager shooting Scott in the back as Scott ran away, directly contradicting Slager's claim of self-defense. Slager was arrested on April 7, 2015, and fired the following day. A grand jury indicted him for murder on June 8, 2015. Slager's 2016 state murder trial ended in a mistrial when the jury deadlocked, though eleven of twelve jurors favored conviction. On May 2, 2017, Slager pleaded guilty to a federal civil rights violation. In exchange for the plea, state murder charges and two other federal charges were dismissed. On December 7, 2017, U.S. District Judge David Norton sentenced Slager to 20 years in federal prison after finding that he had committed second-degree murder and obstruction of justice by lying to investigators about Scott trying to grab his Taser. The City of North Charleston agreed to pay $6.5 million to Scott's family in an October 2015 settlement. As of 2025, Slager remains incarcerated at FCI Englewood, with his earliest possible release date of August 16, 2032.