WATCH: A South Carolina police officer is facing murder charges after a video surfaced that shows the officer shooting a man from behind. The justice department is looking into the shooting that has outraged the community.
TORONTO – The father of the man who was shot in the back while attempting to run from a police officer in South Carolina told media that his son’s death would have been “swept under the rug” if it weren’t for video of the event.
Indeed, the contents of the video obtained by the New York Times and the accounts reported as fact before the video was released differ significantly. The FBI is also looking at the video as part of their investigation.
North Charleston Police Officer Michael Slager, 33, pulled over Walter Scott, 50, near an auto body shop shortly after 9:30 a.m. on Saturday because his brake light wasn’t working.
WATCH: Slager’s call to dispatch seconds after shooting Walter Scott
Before the shooting
What happened next would eventually lead to the shooting; Scott, for unknown reasons, ran from Slager into a grassy area near the auto shop.
“What started out as a routine traffic stop quickly escalated after the driver fled,” Slager’s attorney David Aylor said, according to The Post and Courier.
According to the local Charleston newspaper, Slager told other officers over the radio that he was in a foot chase.
Next, he said over the radio that he deployed his taser but it didn’t work. After that, according to initial reports, a struggle ensued. The video doesn’t show the struggle either.
When the video starts
The video starts vertically, and shaky, as the unidentified cameraperson runs closer to Slager and Scott. But a large mass – possibly Slager and Scott in the throes of a fight – can be seen on the ground.
As the video turns horizontal, Slager can be seen throwing something from his right hand and reaching for his firearm and Scott turns to run.
This is where the video begins to differ from initial reports.
WATCH: Cell phone video has surfaced showing a white police officer shooting an unarmed black man in the back as he ran away (WARNING: Viewer discretion advised)
“That did not work, police said, and an altercation ensued as the men struggled over the device. Police allege that during the struggle the man gained control of the Taser and attempted to use it against the officer,” according to an April 4 report in the Post and Courier.
In the video however, the struggle is clearly over. Scott is running, and Slager has thrown something to the ground beside him, before reaching for his firearm.
Approximately two seconds after Scott begins to run away, the first shots were fired – but by then, the two men are a significant distance from each other.
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A total of eight shots are fired before Scott falls to the ground. The police report said he fired “multiple times.”
Slager can be heard saying something into his radio before yelling “put your hands behind your back” multiple times while Scott lays motionless on the ground.
CPR?
According to a Live 5 News WCSC story published on April 4, Slager and other officers performed CPR and first aid on Scott until paramedics arrived.
“The sergeant said he and another officer performed CPR on Scott until EMS units arrived; the other officer also reported that he was also directing EMS and fire officials the best route to take to get to the victim faster,” according to the news report.
But in the video, Slager walks back to where the original struggle took place and when he comes back, he stands over Scott while another officer crouches near the man’s head.
The video, which lasts for more than three minutes, does not show Slager performing CPR or first aid. However, at one point, he does appear to check for a pulse.
At a news conference Tuesday evening, the lawyer representing Scott’s family said they were thankful the video was released, saying it “speaks for itself.”
“I am reassured that after seeing the video which speaks for itself that any person in this country no matter what race you are can see that it’s murder,” said family attorney L. Chris Stewart. “I am disappointed that the initial reports were totally on the side of the officer.”
Slager, a five-year veteran of the North Charleston Police, has been charged with murder and could face 30 years in prison if convicted.
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