SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
An 'Abomination' of Justice: Mistrial Declared Over Police Shooting of Walter Scott
Video showed Scott being shot five times in the back while running from North Charleston police officer Michael Slager
Dec 05, 2016
The judge presiding over the case of Walter Scott, who in April 2015 was shot in the back by former South Carolina police officer Michael Slager, was forced to declare a mistrial on Monday after the jury announced that they were unable to come "to a unanimous decision."
"The court therefore must declare a mistrial in this case and I so declare that is case is mistried," Circuit Judge Clifton Newman declared after the jury announced the deadlock. The news comes after a single holdout juror sent a letter to Newman on Friday saying that he "cannot in good conscience consider a guilty verdict."
The defense had reportedly "claimed that [Slager] feared for his life when 50-year-old Walter Scott got control of the officer's stun gun and pointed it at him. But," NBC notes, "Scott was shot five times in the back while running from Slager."
Indeed, the shooting--which was captured on video--catalyzed fierce local and national protests against police brutality, particularly against people of color, and spurred calls for a widespread overhaul of the justice system.
However, unlike the cases of Michael Brown, Eric Garner, and countless others in which the police officers were not indicted, a federal grand jury charged Slager on three counts: "a federal civil rights offense for the shooting, excessive force without legal justification, and obstruction of justice for making false statements to South Carolina Law Enforcement Division investigators," as Common Dreams previously reported.
According to reports from the courtroom, the Scott family walked "out of the room to silence in [the] hall." Afterwards, Walter Scott's mother, Judy Scott, told reporters: "He will get his just reward...I'm just waiting on the Lord...It's not over until God says it's over."
Many others took to social media to voice their outrage over the ruling:
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Lauren McCauley
Lauren McCauley is a former senior editor for Common Dreams covering national and international politics and progressive news. She is now the Editor of Maine Morning Star. Lauren also helped produce a number of documentary films, including the award-winning Soundtrack for a Revolution and The Hollywood Complex, as well as one currently in production about civil rights icon James Meredith. Her writing has been featured on Newsweek, BillMoyers.com, TruthDig, Truthout, In These Times, and Extra! the newsletter of Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting. She currently lives in Kennebunk, Maine with her husband, two children, a dog, and several chickens.
The judge presiding over the case of Walter Scott, who in April 2015 was shot in the back by former South Carolina police officer Michael Slager, was forced to declare a mistrial on Monday after the jury announced that they were unable to come "to a unanimous decision."
"The court therefore must declare a mistrial in this case and I so declare that is case is mistried," Circuit Judge Clifton Newman declared after the jury announced the deadlock. The news comes after a single holdout juror sent a letter to Newman on Friday saying that he "cannot in good conscience consider a guilty verdict."
The defense had reportedly "claimed that [Slager] feared for his life when 50-year-old Walter Scott got control of the officer's stun gun and pointed it at him. But," NBC notes, "Scott was shot five times in the back while running from Slager."
Indeed, the shooting--which was captured on video--catalyzed fierce local and national protests against police brutality, particularly against people of color, and spurred calls for a widespread overhaul of the justice system.
However, unlike the cases of Michael Brown, Eric Garner, and countless others in which the police officers were not indicted, a federal grand jury charged Slager on three counts: "a federal civil rights offense for the shooting, excessive force without legal justification, and obstruction of justice for making false statements to South Carolina Law Enforcement Division investigators," as Common Dreams previously reported.
According to reports from the courtroom, the Scott family walked "out of the room to silence in [the] hall." Afterwards, Walter Scott's mother, Judy Scott, told reporters: "He will get his just reward...I'm just waiting on the Lord...It's not over until God says it's over."
Many others took to social media to voice their outrage over the ruling:
Lauren McCauley
Lauren McCauley is a former senior editor for Common Dreams covering national and international politics and progressive news. She is now the Editor of Maine Morning Star. Lauren also helped produce a number of documentary films, including the award-winning Soundtrack for a Revolution and The Hollywood Complex, as well as one currently in production about civil rights icon James Meredith. Her writing has been featured on Newsweek, BillMoyers.com, TruthDig, Truthout, In These Times, and Extra! the newsletter of Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting. She currently lives in Kennebunk, Maine with her husband, two children, a dog, and several chickens.
The judge presiding over the case of Walter Scott, who in April 2015 was shot in the back by former South Carolina police officer Michael Slager, was forced to declare a mistrial on Monday after the jury announced that they were unable to come "to a unanimous decision."
"The court therefore must declare a mistrial in this case and I so declare that is case is mistried," Circuit Judge Clifton Newman declared after the jury announced the deadlock. The news comes after a single holdout juror sent a letter to Newman on Friday saying that he "cannot in good conscience consider a guilty verdict."
The defense had reportedly "claimed that [Slager] feared for his life when 50-year-old Walter Scott got control of the officer's stun gun and pointed it at him. But," NBC notes, "Scott was shot five times in the back while running from Slager."
Indeed, the shooting--which was captured on video--catalyzed fierce local and national protests against police brutality, particularly against people of color, and spurred calls for a widespread overhaul of the justice system.
However, unlike the cases of Michael Brown, Eric Garner, and countless others in which the police officers were not indicted, a federal grand jury charged Slager on three counts: "a federal civil rights offense for the shooting, excessive force without legal justification, and obstruction of justice for making false statements to South Carolina Law Enforcement Division investigators," as Common Dreams previously reported.
According to reports from the courtroom, the Scott family walked "out of the room to silence in [the] hall." Afterwards, Walter Scott's mother, Judy Scott, told reporters: "He will get his just reward...I'm just waiting on the Lord...It's not over until God says it's over."
Many others took to social media to voice their outrage over the ruling:
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.
To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good.
News & Opinion
Trending
Common Dreams, Inc. Founded 1997. Registered 501(c3) Non-Profit
Privacy Policy