'Murderer' back-shoot officer axed
The police chief of North Charleston, SC, said Wednesday he was “sickened” by video footage of a fleeing black man being gunned down by a white cop, as the city wasted no time in bouncing the disgraced patrolman from the force.
Chief Eddie Driggers and North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey sought to soothe tensions during a packed, often contentious press conference at City Hall the day after the cop was charged with murder.
“We do not condone wrong, doesn’t matter who it is,” Summey said.
Driggers said he viewed the shocking cellphone video of the shooting when it was released on Tuesday, and it made him queasy. “I was sickened by what I saw . . . and I have not watched it since,” he said.
Protesters venting their frustrations with the police repeatedly interrupted the officials— some chanting, “The mayor’s got to go!” and, “No justice, no peace!”
Summey at one point threatened to call an end to the news conference.
Officer Michael Slager, 33, was charged with murder Tuesday evening. He was caught on camera gunni ter yearold stopping Walte er Scott for afhima one broken gave taillig Scot ght CPR Saturked anyttat day. When ask if the scene, Driggers could only sa ay he saw “some kind o of lifesavtheend of ing” efforts at the video. “I w was told that they tried to o save his life,” he added d. tions Driggers regardi the en reuesing ferred all qu the investig gaofficials tion to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division ( SLED), an independent body handling the probe. Scott’s death is also being probed by the FBI and US Justice Department, which will decide if any civilrights violations occurred.
Spencer Pryor, aNorth Charleston police spokesman, said SLED officials hoped onThursday to reof the could how develthreeleased The damning t Slager ds at ur that
back, ay. “Shots fired, e subis wn! e took my Taser!” Slager radioed to fellow cops just moments later.
Wires from the Taser appeared to stretch from Scott’s clothing to the cop’s hands as Scott turned to run. After he was shot, Scott fell to the ground roughly 20 feet away from Slager, who put him in cuffs as Scott lay on the ground.
Slager then jogged back to the spot where he fired his gun, picked up what appears to be a Taser, then dropped the object next to Scott’s body.
Scott’s death was ruled a homicide by the Charleston County Coroner’s OfficeWednesday.
The bystander who cautiously filmed the shooting told NBC News on Wednesday that he took the footage straight to Scott’s family.
“I thought about their situation,” Feidin Santana said. “If I were to have a family member and that happened, I would like to know the truth.”
Initially, Slager’s lawyer, David Aylor, said the cop shot Scott because Slager felt threatened. But Ayler is no longer representing Slager, who is still locked up at the Charleston County Detention Center without bail.
“Soon after the video was released, I removed myself as counsel,” he told The Post, declining to comment further.
Slager, a former waiter and Coast Guard vet, had two complaints lodged against him in his five years on the force, NBC News reported. He is married with two stepchildren.
Scott, a father of four and also a Coast Guard vet, had several runins with the law, mostly for failing to pay child support, according to the local newspaper.
reporting by Joe