Michael T. Slager, the former South Carolina cop who was captured shooting unarmed Walter Scott as he fled on foot, is said to be entering a guilty plea Tuesday afternoon (May 2) at the Federal District Court in Charleston. The guilty plea is part of a plea deal, sources close to the case have confirmed but the terms of the plea deal have not been made public just yet.
It’s unclear what charges Slager is pleading guilty to. According to The New York Times, Slager was scheduled to go on trial later this month on charges he violated 50-year-old Scott’s civil rights. In December, Slager’s murder trial in state court ended in a mistrial.
During the state trial, Slager, who is white said he struggled with Scott who is black and feared for his life when he started shooting. However video footage captured by a pedestrian which quickly went viral, showed Slager shooting Scott had his back turned, caused outrage by many around the country and online.
The city fired Slager before he was charged with murder. Yet after the mistrial, the City of North Charleston later reached a $6.5 million settlement with Mr. Scott’s family.