Race riots fear after father of four shot dead as he fled police
A NEW wave of violence is feared across the United States after an unarmed black man was “gunned down like an animal” by a white policeman.
Walter Scott was hit five times in the back by Michael Slager. The patrolman said he fired out of fear for his life but a video by a passer- by revealed Mr Scott, 50, running away as Slager fired eight pistol rounds.
The policeman is then seen standing over the dead man, handcuffing him and dropping an object at his feet. The pair had scuffled briefly before the fatal shooting in North Charleston, South Carolina.
Similar deaths of black men at the hands of white officers over the past year have sparked riots in Missouri, New York and Cleveland.
Demonstrators rallied at North Charleston City Hall last night against what they described as a culture of police brutality.
Protesters held signs that read: “The whole world is watching,” and: “Back turned, don’t shoot.” One, Ramon Roane, 52, said: “There is an atmosphere of racism in North Charleston and we need to get rid of it.”
Lance Braye of Black Lives Matter, set up after the shooting of Michael Brown in Missouri last year, said: “We have to take a stand on stuff like this. We can’t just shake our heads at our computer screens.”
Slager, who has been charged with murder, was sacked last night. He has claimed Mr Scott, a father of four, tried to snatch his Taser after his Mercedes was pulled over for a broken brake light on Saturday.
But Mr Scott’s father, Walter Snr, said the officer “looked like he was trying to kill a deer running through the woods”. He said his son may have run away fearing jail for failing to pay child maintenance.
The victim’s mother Judy Scott called the video “the most horrible thing I’ve ever seen”. She added: “I almost couldn’t look at it to see my son running defencelessly, being shot. It just tore my heart to pieces.”
Excessive
Brother Anthony Scott said: “My brother was gunned down like an animal. It was just unbelievable.”
A friend, Nicole King, said: “It was just a traffic stop. It could have been any of us.”
Mr Scott’s family has appealed for calm saying the murder charge showed the justice system is working.
Slager, 33, a married man whose wife is expecting their first child, could be sentenced to death if convicted. He had been in the North Charleston police department for five years. He previously served in the US Coast Guard and had faced a complaint about using excessive force – for which he was cleared.