In closing arguments this afternoon in the state trial of former police officer Michael Slager, who is accused of murdering an unarmed black man in South Carolina, the defense blasted the media for creating what was described as a false narrative, while the prosecution told the jury, “You can get it right.”
Slager, who is white, is accused of killing Walter Scott at a traffic stop on April 4, 2015, in North Charleston while Slager was an officer with the city’s police department.
Witness video that surfaced shortly after the deadly encounter appears to show the moment Slager fatally shot Scott as he ran away. The video garnered national attention, propelling Slager into the spotlight. He was fired from the force after the shooting, according to The Associated Press.
Slager has pleaded not guilty to murder. His attorneys have said the witness video doesn’t show the whole struggle between Slager and Scott, and does not give the perspective of events from Slager’s point of view.
In this state trial, the jury can now also consider a voluntary manslaughter charge, officials told ABC News today. The voluntary manslaughter charge was requested by the prosecution and the judge allowed it based on testimony he heard during the trial.
“The court must let the jury decide if the force used was reasonable,” Judge Clifton Newman said today. “That’s the essence of the case.”
In the prosecution’s closing arguments, Solicitor Scarlett Wilson described murder and voluntarily manslaughter. She said murder involves malice, which “has to be in the mind before the shots are fired.” She said malice is a feeling and an emotion. Voluntarily manslaughter, meanwhile, “is an unlawful killing in the heat of passion,” Wilson said.
Wilson said jurors must decide the difference between heat of passion and malice “because from a distance they can look the same.”
Michael Slager sentenced to 20 years in prison for killing Walter Scott….
Thank God for #FeidinSantana filming the shooting of #WalterScott. If not for his video #MichaelSlager would have gotten away with murder.
A Change Is Gonna Come
Slager shot Walter Scott in his back in COLD BLOOD.
OUR EYES SAW IT.
https://twitter.com/NBCBLK/status/938823257582645248
Breaking News: #MichaelSlager sentenced to 20 years in prison for the shooting death of #WalterScott
LOCK’EM UP
ROT IN HELL
Now that you’re going to held accountable you wish this would have never happened.
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So hard. The image of their loved one getting shot down will stay with them forever. May God help them through the pain.
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https://www.facebook.com/timwallerTV/videos/1868119950086235/?hc_ref=NEWSFEED
!!
https://twitter.com/SXMUrbanView/status/804070837783511041
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https://twitter.com/BreeNewsome/status/805906129633021952
https://twitter.com/TheDailyEdge/status/805893441020456961
To the family of Walter Scott:
Please hold out for God’s Mercy. Thy WILL be DONE.
AMEN! Justice served.
https://twitter.com/MonieTalks_1/status/805903350986395648
https://twitter.com/LisaLive5/status/805895642807758849
What did Solicitor Wilson call that POS jury?
How about not having an ALL WHITE JURY for the next trial 11-WHITES & 1 BLACK JUROR?
UM, NO,
JUST HELL.TO.THE.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Breaking: Scarlett Wilson: “We will try #MichaelSlager again.”
https://twitter.com/brindge/status/805877051987283968
So this MOFO gets to walk? UNFUCKINGBELIEVABLE!
https://twitter.com/brindge/status/805875192673222656
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https://twitter.com/RickBarber58/status/805878807777316864
I want to cry. Such hopelessness & despair.
Taney’s law: Blacks have no rights which the white man is bound to respect. #MichaelSlager
https://twitter.com/tjholmes/status/805874885818023940
WTF we saw this coming. SHAMEFUL, CRIMINAL, REALLY.
All the define this term and that term was just a dog & pony show to fake actual du diligence.
DIRTY, ROTTEN, NO GOOD RACISTS MOFOS!
OMG! A murder captured on video means nothing? This racist hell-hole of a country.
OMG! The judge is bringing out the jury out to declare a mistrial in the #MichaelSlager trial. Racist bigots refusing to convict a killer cop. America is a racist hell-hole!
INSANE! This should have been over already.
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Bullshit! How so when Walter Scott was clearly away from ANY contact with Slager and RUNNING AWAY? White supremacy got damn!
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I hope this does it and they don’t come back with another bullshit question. Enough already. Convict this killer cop!
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Livestream and updates at this link:
http://abcnews4.com/news/walter-scott-shooting/michael-slager-jury-returns-with-question-on-law-to-start-monday-deliberations
Excerpt from above link:
https://twitter.com/brindge/status/805812658347896836
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https://twitter.com/_Uncensorable/status/805807822164393984
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Jesus Christ! MAKE IT STOP!
https://twitter.com/brindge/status/805807810311294976
I certainly did not expect that.
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What in the name of God is this?
https://twitter.com/brindge/status/804803924167454720
So they heading for a mistrial or what?
https://twitter.com/brindge/status/804758595086729218
Wonder how difficult it’d be for this same jury to reach a consensus…return a unanimous verdict, had a black cop shot a white man running away from him during a supposedly routine traffic stop …
They certainly wouldn’t be deadlocked…and there certainly won’t be a hung jury..
Overwhelmed with sadness
https://twitter.com/ChuckRingwalt/status/804758445731803137
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Mofo is gonna hang that jury.
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Judge sees right through this bullshit. The video is clear enough. Convict this killer cop.
https://twitter.com/AshleighHNews/status/804693074161045504
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THIS! Judge knows they’re full of ISH
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https://twitter.com/JustinBamberg/status/804508616107708416
the call is on
I’m cussing because this makes no sense. They have the got damn video. It can’t be anymore clear.
Deliberating for 10 got damn hours & at the end of the fking day want to know the difference between “fear” and “passion” FOH
Remember, SG2, there are 11 white jurors deliberating, who are most likely ‘FEARFUL’ of black people, even though they say they are impartial.
When you can’t use good common sense, and no heart to recognize 1. Black people are HUMANS 2. MR. SCOTT WAS SHOT IN HIS BACK WHILE RUNNING AWAY
YOU’RE STRAIGHT UP PART OF THE WHITE SUMPREMACY justice system.
https://twitter.com/MaryCaitlinByrd/status/804457113607163905
Well here we go again with this fuckery. #MichaelSlager jury want to know the difference between “fear” and “passion”.
https://twitter.com/brindge/status/804456317490380800
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https://twitter.com/ChuckRingwalt/status/804433117071233024
https://twitter.com/JurorProject/status/804349678259228672
Well now, is this what is meant by a “jury of your peers?”
https://twitter.com/SXMUrbanView/status/804070837783511041
Please someone explain to me how an armed police office who is in complete control of a traffic stop scene…so in control and comfortably cocky….can now with a straight face claim to have been in ‘fear’ for his life from an unarmed man running away from him…and in the opposite direction..
The arrogance of white supremacy
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In REALITY, you can’t claim self defense when a moving body is running away from you with their BACK TURNED to you.
No fucking way can this piece of shit get away with self defense.
https://twitter.com/MelisEgan/status/804342126041501697
This SOB needs to get LIFE,
L
I
F
E
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Is anyone HOPEFUL that Slager’s going to be CONVICTED?
After Freddie Gray I have mostly given up hope.
He did today. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison for the shooting death of Walter Scott.