Believe your eyes
Seeming to state as plainly as possible that the life of black motorist Walter Scott did not matter, a jury failed to convict his killer, former Police Officer Michael Slager. A judge Tuesday was forced to declare a mistrial after a Charleston jury deadlocked at 11-1, unable to convict Slager of manslaughter.
Slager must now be retried, both in state court and in the federal system, where civil-rights charges await. If there’s any justice, an “if” that is in serious doubt, he will be convicted on retrial.
It is not the practice of this editorial page to assert the guilt or innocence of an individual accused of a crime. But the video evidence in this case was so compelling, so unequivocal, it demands departure from those norms.
On April 4, 2015, Slager pulled Scott over in a routine traffic stop. The two had some type of confrontation, not caught on camera — and then, as revealed in footage taken by a bystander, Scott fled, and Slager shot him five times in the back.
The bystander then caught Slager handcuffing the fatally wounded Scott and apparently moving the Taser that had fallen from his belt close to the stricken Scott’s hand — allegedly to corroborate Slager’s claim that Scott had grabbed the Taser and attempted to use it on the police officer.
A lone juror, a white man or woman on a panel made up of 11 white people and one black man, held out for conviction, seemingly convinced by Slager’s testimony that he feared for his life.
The officer testified being gripped by a “total fear that Mr. Scott was coming toward me.”
While the legitimate anxieties of police officers who risk their lives daily are due respect, when measured against the incontrovertible video evidence, Slager’s fear can only be described as emanating from a parallel universe.
Never again ought Americans scoff at Black Lives Matter protesters when they urge reforms in the wake of a wrenching string of caught-on-camera confrontations with police, often followed by tardy or callous pursuit of justice thereafter.
In this case, responsible official actions make the outcome especially painful to accept.
This time, as evidence came to light, Slager was correctly dismissed from the police force. This time, the local district attorney swiftly brought charges, and produced a strong enough case that 11 jurors were convinced of Slager’s guilt.
For an untold reason, one juror still couldn’t find it in his or her gut to convict. The searing conclusion: Even when the truth is plain to see, even when everyone in power seemingly does the right thing, a man in uniform can get away with murder, or a crime damn close enough.