US cop jailed 20 years in fatal shooting of black man
CharLeston: A white former US police officer was sentenced to 20 years in prison over the fatal shooting of an unarmed black motorist.
The death of Walter Scott in 2015 was one of the most shocking in a series of high-profile US police shootings.
Michael Slager, who worked for the North Charleston police department, was charged with murder in state courts, proceedings that ended in a mistrial last year.
But in May, he pleaded guilty to one federal charge of depriving Scott of his civil rights by using excessive force while carrying out his duties.
On Thursday, US District Judge David Norton said the offence involved the underlying crime of second-degree murder.
The former policeman “acted with malice and forethought,” said Norton, “shooting an unarmed and fleeing Walter Scott.”
Slager then gave authorities false information about the circumstances of the shooting, the judge added at the sentencing hearing in a Charleston federal court.
Slager shot and killed 50-year-old Scott on April 4, 2015, in North Charleston when Scott fled his vehicle after being pulled over for a broken brake light.
Slager claimed he had acted in self-defence, saying Scott tried to attack him with his own stun gun.
But video footage of the incident taken by a witness shows Slager shooting Scott in the back as he sprinted away from the officer.
Slager was then criticised for trying to stage a scene to back up his claim of self-defence, by placing his stun gun beside Scott.
Scott’s father has said his son may have been running from the officer because he owed child support and did not want to go to jail. — AFP