SC - Walter Scott, 50, fatally shot by North Charleston PD officer, 4 April 2015 - #1

[LaLaw2000]

Two different cases. Also, when firing a taser, the trigger is pulled one time. He pulled the trigger 8 different times. He knew he was firing his pistol.

BBM: Of course he knew he was drawing and shooting his weapon! A stun gun or taser has a different feel altogether. It is not even in the same place or next to his weapon on his duty belt.


* (not to do with your post, Tawny)

I was discussing a taser/stun gun in earlier posts because someone had mentioned it, not because Slager ever thought he was using the taser when he shot Walter Scott. I read about the 73 yr. old making the mistake.

I am clear as mud, huh?

 

[~Lyric~]

WoW.....

The witness who took the video, said there was a scuffle, the officer had tased Mr. Scott...they were on the ground, yelling, then he started his video when Mr. Scott started running. He believed Mr. Scott was running because of being tased. The witness knew he had to record, knew something was going on. He turned the video over to Mr. Scott's family.

There is dashcam video, per NBC Nightly news, and it may be released tomorrow for us to see.

This all was just reported on the news, so I don't have a link as of yet.

 

[i.b.nora]

Earlier today, I found this article which was written about the shooting BEFORE the video was known about and made public.

It is based on the retelling of the Saturday incident by the original attorney for the officer.

Attorney: North Charleston police officer felt threatened before fatal shooting

The Post and Courier
By Andrew Knapp
Apr 6 2015 1:09 pm

"A North Charleston police officer felt threatened last weekend when the driver he had stopped for a broken brake light tried to overpower him and take his Taser.

That’s why Patrolman 1st Class Michael Thomas Slager, a former Coast Guardsman, fatally shot the man, the officer’s attorney said Monday."

*

"The authorities have not said whether anyone else saw Slager’s struggle with Scott.

No one called Charleston County’s 911 Center after the gunfire, and Slager’s communications with dispatchers will not be made public until SLED approves it, county spokeswoman Natalie Hauff said.

SLED spokesman Thom Berry said prosecutors also would have to review the recordings and be “agreeable and amenable” to their release."

*

"Around 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Slager noticed a Mercedes-Benz sedan with a brake light that was “out and not working,” the police spokesman said. He stopped his cruiser behind the sedan that had pulled into Advance Auto Parts at 1945 Remount Road.

“What started out as a routine traffic stop quickly escalated after the driver fled,” Slager’s attorney said.

Scott ran down Craig Road, which parallels the store’s parking lot and stretches southward toward the Singing Pines community. A passenger in his car stayed put.

Slager told other officers through his radio that he had gotten into a foot chase, according to the report. The police have not given details about the confrontation that followed behind the Mega Pawn shop at 5654 Rivers Ave.

But with other officers on the way to help, Slager announced on his radio that he had “deployed” his Taser, according to the report. But it didn’t work.

The statement from Slager’s attorney, though, did not say that Slager actually fired the device. Aylor said he could not offer further clarification until the officer talks with investigators.

“When confronted, Officer Slager reached for his Taser — as trained by the department — and then a struggle ensued,” Aylor said. “The driver tried to overpower Officer Slager in an effort to take his Taser.”"​

There is more, you'll have to read it.

Some of it is material that the more national media is just now reporting on, like Slager's prior history with a taser.

 

[i.b.nora]

CNN is playing the NBC interview with the videographer of the shooting.

 

[KEVINinTO]

CNN is playing the NBC interview with the videographer of the shooting.

So according to this eyewitness before he started to record there was a struggle "on the floor" (I presume he means ground) and that the taser had been fired i.e. Scott does not appear to be an innocent party in this incident. His actions caused the escalation which resulted in the officer stupidly shooting him in the back.

If as it appears - there was an attempted cover-up - it seems to me that the officer's partner would have been a party to the cover-up and I wonder why there is no scrutiny of this officers actions in the media? For example in the police report it is claimed that officers performed CPR on Scott when in fact the video proves no such aid was rendered (he was left on his stomach with his hands cuffed behind him. Which officer furnished this erroneous information? Also in the video we see the officer who fired the shots dropping what appears to be a taser beside Scott's body while in the presence of his partner. We then see him pick up what appears to be a taser - again in the presence of his partner. Did his partner reveal these actions in his report or did he cover-up these actions?

If the partner cop was involved in anyway with a cover-up he should also be fired and charged with obstruction of justice. Dirty cops could not exist without the complicity of their colleagues.

 

[cady]

I think the second LE was not a partner, but backup which arrived soon after. JMO

 

[cady]

What is going on with all these obnoxious ADS in between posts?

 

[shadowraiths]

Man Who Recorded Walter Scott Being Shot by Cop Speaks Out: link (includes video interview)

 

[oh_gal]

Yes case 1. officer Slagle and Mr.Scott
case 2. 73 year old cop mistakes taser for gun

Thank you. I thought I was losing my mind!!

 

[KEVINinTO]

Man Who Recorded Walter Scott Being Shot by Cop Speaks Out: link (includes video interview)

The eyewitness stated:

"They were down on the floor before I started recording. I remember the police had control of the situation," Santana said. "He had control of Scott. And Scott was trying just to get away from the Taser."

Clearly the cop did not have control of the situation and the video proves this. Had the cop been in control Scott would not have escaped. The fact that there was a struggle on the ground tends to lend credence to the claim made by the cop that Scott "grabbed" his taser.

 

[i.b.nora]

Officer radio transmissions released in Walter Scott shooting

The Post and Courier
By Andrew Knapp and Christina Elmore
Apr 8 2015 9:49 am Apr 8 3:42 pm

"After a pursuit down a North Charleston street, officer Michael T. Slager appeared out of breath when he requested backup the morning he fatally shot an apparently unarmed black man.

Those details and others can be heard on radio transmissions released Wednesday afternoon by Charleston County officials.

“Shots fired. Subject is down. He grabbed my Taser,” Slager can be heard saying less than 90 seconds into the 12-minute audio recording.

Slager said into his radio that Walter L. Scott had been shot in the chest and buttocks. Video of the encounter that was released Tuesday, though, showed the officer shooting Scott in the back."​

This is a good long article. More...

 

[~Lyric~]

Since when did it become the norm NOT to give chase?

If the reports are correct he was already tased. In the video he was running away. Why not chase after him?

Is it the NORM now to just shoot?

 

[i.b.nora]

Charleston defense attorney Andy Savage to represent cop charged with murder

The Post and Courier
By David Slade
Apr 8 2015 4:58 pm Apr 8 6:59 pm

"Prominent Charleston defense lawyer Andy Savage will be representing Michael Slager, the fired white North Charleston police officer who was charged with murder Tuesday in the weekend killing of a fleeing black man following a traffic stop.

Savage has represented high-profile clients, including accused enemy combatant Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri, investment fraud operator Al Parish, politicians, children of politicians and many defendants in capital cases. He has also held public office in Charleston County and hosted the Emmy-winning Comcast news show “The Savage Report.”"
​

More...

 

[Tawny]

i.e. Scott does not appear to be an innocent party in this incident. His actions caused the escalation which resulted in the officer stupidly shooting him in the back.

RSBM ??? We don't even know what his actions were before the officer deployed his taser. Tasers can cause a fight or flight reflex, so to say the victim's actions escalated this is premature. JMO

 

[shadowraiths]

This NBC report slows down the video, you can see the taser, as well as the point where Slager drops something by Mr. Scott's body. (link)

 

[Zuri]

C

Officer radio transmissions released in Walter Scott shooting

The Post and Courier
By Andrew Knapp and Christina Elmore
Apr 8 2015 9:49 am Apr 8 3:42 pm

"After a pursuit down a North Charleston street, officer Michael T. Slager appeared out of breath when he requested backup the morning he fatally shot an apparently unarmed black man.

Those details and others can be heard on radio transmissions released Wednesday afternoon by Charleston County officials.

“Shots fired. Subject is down. He grabbed my Taser,” Slager can be heard saying less than 90 seconds into the 12-minute audio recording.

Slager said into his radio that Walter L. Scott had been shot in the chest and buttocks. Video of the encounter that was released Tuesday, though, showed the officer shooting Scott in the back."​

This is a good long article. More...

Thank you for posting this. I listened to the audio and you can hear the adrenaline rush in Slager's voice; all cotton mouthy. From the video, Slager's did nothing to assist Scott once he shot him other than handcuff him. Mr. Scott was face down in the ground. Slager's checks for a pulse. Nothing. The next officer that arrived on scene checked for a carotid pulse, yet no CPR was initiated. What is LE protocol once you shoot someone? Are they not required to render first aid?

 

[imma]

Inside the high-profile world of Andy Savage

Other high-profile cases and clients from his career include:
-Former Charleston police officer Roudro Gourdine, acquitted of voluntary manslaughter in the death of a burglary suspect at the city jail.

 

[Zuri]

IMO, the first attorney withdrew because Slager had lied to him about what transpired. Slager must have known immediately he did something very wrong and tried to manipulate the couse of events, starting with his shots fired transmission.

 

[vlpate]

Man who recorded Walter Scott being shot speaks out https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...LHoNSi1hlIrSnTLSA&sig2=nmZxDbJ5DIv6KC2cNneUZQ

 

[i.b.nora]

I think someone from CNN reads here. They just reported on the contents of an article I posted an hour and a half ago or so about the story in the Post Courier told by the first lawyer before the video was known. They should hire me to find stuff for them.