Kin of man slain by cop laud reforms
Family members of a black man fatally shot in the back by a white South Carolina police officer say they still grieve, but are heartened by some positive changes in law enforcement.
The family of Walter Scott, 50, made the comments Monday at a ceremony marking the one-year anniversary of his death.
Scott was shot five times by officer Michael Slager after he tried to flee from a traffic stop; a passer-by recorded the incident on his phone and the video of the shooting went viral, fueling the on-going debate about the mistreatment of black men by white police officers.
Scott’s relatives on Monday laid flowers at his grave and held a moment of silence, followed by an address to the media.
“We have seen a lot of positive changes over the past year,” said Scott’s brother, Anthony Scott.
In June 2015, state authorities passed a law requiring all police officers to wear a body camera when on duty.
The number of traffic stops by the North Charleston police have also halved since last April, the Post and Courier in Charleston reported. According to the paper, 26,000 motorists were pulled over in the nine months after Scott’s shooting, compared to 54,000 in the same period the year before.
“We miss Walter every single day and we want this man (Slager) to be convicted,” Anthony Scott said. He called Scott’s case a “blueprint” for the nation to use against the injustices by police.
“If Slager was an average citizen, he would have been easily convicted,” state Rep. Justin Bamberg, told USA TODAY. Bamberg is a lawyer for Scott’s family.
Bamberg said that he is proud of the positive consequences of the case.
The charge against Slager and his removal from duty shows that shooting people while they flee is a violation of constitutional rights, he said.
Anthony said the community and the state authorities have been very supportive of the Scott family.
Slager is out on bond till the trial begins in October 2016.