A South Carolina judge has requested more time before deciding whether to grant bond to Michael Slager, the former police officer who has been charged with the fatal April shooting of Walter Scott.
On the morning of April 4, Slager pulled Scott over for a broken taillight. Scott, a 50-year-old father of four, handed over his identification, but allegedly lacked the proper registration, telling Slager that he had recently purchased the car. When Slager returned to his police car to run Scott’s license, Scott attempted to flee into a grassy lot nearby—family members presume that he was running because he owed back child support.
PHOTOS: Everything You Need to Know About the Fatal Shooting of Walter Scott
Witness video shows Slager pursuing a running Scott before drawing his gun and firing eight shots, five of which struck Scott in the back. After Scott collapsed, Slager approached him and handcuffed him, failing to administer medical attention. Slager claims that preceding the shooting, Scott, who was unarmed, had attempted to reach for his taser.
Slager, who faces 30 years to life in prison, was fired from his post just days after the shooting, and in June, a Charleston grand jury charged him with first-degree murder.
Lawyers for Slager have requested bond to Slager leading up to his trial, which doesn’t yet have a set start date, but South Carolina Circuit Judge Clifton Newman said that he needed more time making his decision.