Wednesday, May 11, 2016

A South Carolina Cop indicted on a Federal Civil Rights charge



Image result for north charleston police department
North Charleston Police vehicle

Michael Slager
PO Michael Slager, facing potential life sentence, courtesy postandcourier.com

A bystander’s video shows Walter Scott, left, fleeing as Michael Slager raises his weapon.
The shooting and murder of  Walter Scott that got Slager into big trouble,courtesy postandcourier.com 


According to the feds..."Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of the Civil Rights Division, and U. S. Attorney Bill Nettles of the District of South Carolina announced today that a federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment charging former North Charleston, South Carolina, Police Department (NCPD) Officer Michael Slager with federal offenses related to his fatal shooting of Walter Scott on April 4, 2015.  The indictment includes charges for a federal civil rights offense, using a firearm during the commission of the civil rights offense and obstruction of justice. 
The indictment alleges that Michael Slager, while acting as an NCPD Officer, used excessive force when he shot and killed Walter Scott without legal justification.  Slager was also charged with obstruction of justice for making false statements to South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) investigators with the intent to impede the investigation into the shooting.  The indictment alleges that Slager intentionally misled SLED investigators by claiming that Scott was coming toward him with a taser at the time that Slager fired his weapon, when in truth, Scott was running away. 
An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.  If convicted, Slager faces a maximum sentence of 1ife in prison for the civil rights violation, as well as a potential $250,000 fine.

What can Slager argue? Can he say self defense? He shot him from behind as noted from the photograph...Is this a cold blooded murder? Was there racism involved as he was white and the victim was black? 
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Columbia Division and SLED.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Klumb of the District of South Carolina and Trial Attorney Jared Fishman of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section."
I am no stranger to Federal Prison and eventhough I only sat 1316 days for my crime, I did meet lifers in various detention facilities. Here's what to expect....https://www.amazon.com/PRISON-expect-Federal-Bureau-Prisons-ebook/dp/B011GTWLOG
 


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