Posted on 06/08/2015 8:32:20 AM PDT by Conscience of a Conservative
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV) -- Solicitor Scarlett Wilson on Monday announced that an indictment has been handed down by a state Grand Jury against former North Charleston police officer Michael Slager for murder.
The indictment was filed and handed down on Monday, Wilson said.
"The facts that were presented to us by SLED warranted a Grand Jury," she said.
Wilson said Monday Slager faces 30 years to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The indictment against Slager is the only indictment presented to the Grand Jury, she said.
She said they hope to hear from Judge Newman soon on when the trial will be scheduled.
Critics in the room asked her about prosecuting officers, saying she has never convicted an officer of killing a black man. Pastor Thomas Dixon pointed to the Denzel Curnell case as a reason the black community maintains a distrust of law enforcement and prosecutors.
"In South Carolina, what we do is we take the evidence that's brought to us by law enforcement," Wilson said, adding sometimes law enforcement agencies often will decide against filing charges against officers before handing off the case.
Wilson also said that information from the State Law Enforcement Division found there was not probable cause to file charges against anyone else in the case. But she said that her office would make that determination independently of SLED by reviewing the agency's case file.
Scott was killed April 4 after being pulled over by Slager, a North Charleston police officer, for a broken tail light.
North Charleston police officials and witnesses on the scene describe a traffic stop in which the driver ran to a nearby alley, tried to take the officer's Taser and was fatally shot.
After cell phone video of part of the incident was sent to the State Law Enforcement Division, the New York Times, and released online, North Charleston officials announced that Slager would face murder charges for shooting Scott as the 50-year-old man was running away.
The case of a North Charleston police officer shooting an unarmed man has led to rallies, nationwide attention, calls for law enforcement reform and body camera requirements.
In April, leaders in the black community called for Solicitor Scarlett Wilson to be removed from the Walter Scott case, citing a history of mistrust and a relationship they classify as being too friendly with law enforcement.
For an interactive timeline of the Walter Scott case, click here.
Really? First degree murder?
“In April, leaders in the black community called for Solicitor Scarlett Wilson to be removed from the Walter Scott case, citing a history of mistrust and a relationship they classify as being too friendly with law enforcement. “
this is why i don’t feel sorry for these people..
mistrust & too friendly to law enforcement = not getting our way...
One can indict a ham sandwich....remember that comment.
The more they over charge police for excessive, sometimes, force, the less police actions they will get. I hope everyone is armed up in the burbs because when the hordes come out on a raid, you better be prepared to fight back because the police will be no where to be found.
Did you watch the video?
Yes. Based on the evidence, Murder 1 is an appropriate charge. Exculpatory evidence may knock it down to murder 2 but I think that may be unlikely.
Well, it might be tough to prove premeditation, but even a few seconds of premeditation can be enough sometimes.
When does the”Rioting”commence??????????
If you watch the video you see the police officer pull his weapon and take deliberate aim before firing on Scott. It may not have been but a split second of pre-meditation yet it’s obvious if you look at the video.
The bottom line here is that the police officer killed a man who was not a threat to the police officer or anyone else at the moment the police officer unloaded his weapon at the man.
That’s first degree murder.
Really? First degree murder?
Yes...really, well 2nd degree maybe.....and this is not a cop-bashing opinion either.
Shooting someone in the back multiple times who posed no immediate threat is murder. You would be charged and so would I.
The cop was way too eager to go to the gun and blew it big time. I would vote to convict if on the jury just from the video.
The Officer should be put to death.
Message to Charleston cops, back off. Let the inmates run the asylum for a while.
Not at all.
No. Message to Charleston cops: don't shoot fleeing people in the back, and then try to cover up the shooting by planting your taser on them.
A good and proper assessment.
8 shots at a fleeing suspect - and “fleeing” is a stretch. Waddling away is more accurate.
“The cop was way too eager to go to the gun and blew it big time.”
This is THE PROBLEM with LEO’s today. Evidently their training is to use deadly force as a first option. Then the usual “process’ is to get the DA to “help” with the other “TWO S’s,” Shovel and Shut Up. Glad to see that in this case, that isn’t going to happen. Murder is murder, no matter who pulls the trigger.
“Evidently their training is to use deadly force as a first option.”
You’re right! Most LEO’s in America have had some form of “No Hesitation” training in which they are trained to immediately shoot anyone they think is a threat.
That includes shooting kids with Airsoft BB guns:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_of_Andy_Lopez
...and they’ve trained using targets that depict pregnant women, children, and the elderly.
And significantly, the threat does not have to be real to absolve the shooter. It's a virtual carte blanche to kill.
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