Fired officer pleads guilty to violating civil rights of slain Black man
Fired North Charleston Police officer Michael Slager has pled guilty to violating the civil rights of an unarmed black motorist he shot in back.
The death of Walter Scott was seen worldwide after a bystander recorded it on his cell phone.
Slager likely faces prison under the terms of his plea deal with prosecutors.
He spoke little on Tuesday, except to quietly answer the judge’s questions.
Several of Scott’s relatives sat on the front row in the courtroom gallery as the prosecutor read a bare-bones description of the shooting.
One of them closed his eyes tightly while another hung his head.
Slager has been out on bond for much of the time since the shooting, but now that he’s guilty, he was handcuffed by a federal marshal and led from the courtroom as Scott’s family looked on.
