Jury deadlocked in trial of cop filmed killing fleeing suspect

Slager, was arrested Tuesday, April 7, 2015, according to a.

The shooting was captured on cellphone video, which showed Mr. Slager, who is white, shooting Mr. Scott. The incident took place Saturday, April 4, 2015.

The jury of 12 began deliberating after closing arguments late Wednesday afternoon, but after a little more than an hour, they came back to the judge to ask to go home for the night.

The jury weighing whether former SC police officer Michael Slager should be convicted of the murder of Walter Scott, the unarmed black man he shot eight times in the back in 2015, announced Friday it has been unable to reach a verdict.

“If you can not agree on a verdict, I must declare a mistrial”.

Newman asked the jury if they still wanted a record of the testimony, which was available by audio.

“I still can not without a reasonable doubt convict the defendant”, the juror writes. “I expect those who hold opposing views not to change their minds because I see them as good, honest people”.

If found guilty, Slager faces between two years and life in prison – depending on whether the conviction is for murder or manslaughter.

The case of a former SC police officer charged with murder in the shooting death of an unarmed black motorist is now before the jury.

Newman asked a clerk to get clarity from the jury foreman about whether the 12 were “hopelessly deadlocked”, since the foreperson had not said the words that usually trigger a mistrial once a jury says for a second time it is hung.

“It means that it’s proof beyond a reasonable doubt when we have proven our case, not beyond every doubt, not beyond a shadow of a doubt, but a reasonable doubt”, Wilson said. We could use more time, the foreman said.

After returning to the jury room, the foreperson sent down another note informing the judge they had chose to go home for the weekend and wished to come back on Monday morning at 9:00 a.m.to continue deliberations. The video also shows Slager dropping what seems to be a taser next to Scott’s unmoving body – a weapon he says Scott took from him during a scuffle – before handcuffing the victim rather than administering first aid.

At various times over the three days of deliberation, the jury requested transcripts of testimony from some of the 55 witnesses who spoke during the monthlong trial. The officer testified that there was a brief altercation in a park over his Taser, and he shot Scott five times as he fled, out of “total fear”.

One of the key pieces of evidence in the trial was a cell-phone video of the altercation.

Slager was sacked from the force and charged with murder within days of the release of the cellphone video.

During the encounter, Scott tried to run away – prompting Slager to open fire.

Slager, 35, has been charged with murder in the death of Scott, 50, who was not armed.