POLICE IN SOUTH CAROLINA have released footage taken on a dashcam moments before Walter Scott was gunned down by officer Michael Slager.
The video shows the 50-year-old man being pulled over in a black Mercedes. Slager approaches the vehicle and speaks with Scott.
He asks for the car registration, which Scott says he cannot produce because he says he is buying the car from someone else who still has the paperwork.
When Slager returns to his car, Scott can be seen looking out the door. A few seconds later, he opens the car door again and flees the vehicle.
The chase and shooting cannot be seen. They were caught on camera, however, by a bystander, a crucial piece of evidence which led to Slager’s arrest and charges brought against him.
Scott’s father has revealed that his son may have fled because he owed child support and did not want to go to jail.
Meanwhile, police officer Slager’s mother said the incident was hard to comprehend.
“I can’t imagine him doing something that’s just not like him, it’s not his character. He has a little baby on the way due next month,” she told ABC News.
An online fundraising campaign was launched to support Slager, who has two step-children and whose wife is expecting another child.
A fund on Indiegogo raised more than $1,200 in its first day, with 44 people contributing and said it aimed to reach $5,000.
“Although he may have made missteps in judgment he was protecting the community… please help in any way you can. He has served five years with the department without being disciplined,” the page said.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say