A former North Charleston police officer who has been indicted in U.S. court on a civil rights violation by a federal grand jury pleaded not guilty on the afternoon of May 11.
The former policeman, who fired eight bullets—five of which hit unarmed man Walter Scott—was charged with deprivation of rights under color of law, use of a weapon during commission of a crime of violence, and obstruction of justice.
Slager chased and later shot Scott after a traffic stop in South Carolina on April 4, 2015, according to court documents.
“The indictment alleges that Slager intentionally misled [state] 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,” the Department of Justice said in a statement.
