CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) - The Latest on the sentencing of a former South Carolina police officer in the shooting death of an unarmed motorist (all times local):
5:30 p.m.
The first day of sentencing has concluded in the case of a white former South Carolina police officer who shot an unarmed black motorist to death in 2015.
Prosecutors called three witnesses at Michael Slager’s sentencing hearing Monday. Officials expect the proceedings to take around three days.
A federal judge is considering how much time the former North Charleston officer should spend in prison for the April 2015 shooting death of Walter Scott. Slager shot Scott in the back five times as he ran from the officer. He has pleaded guilty to violating Scott’s civil rights.
Slager has said he feared for his life after Scott tried to attack him with his stun gun. An FBI witness testified Monday he carefully reviewed bystander video showing the weapon lying on the ground behind Slager as he shot Scott, who was running away.
Slager faces a possible life sentence. His lawyers say he should receive far less time.
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4:40 p.m.
Federal prosecutors have shown how they enhanced a bystander’s video of the police shooting of an unarmed black South Carolina motorist to highlight the location of the officer’s stun gun.
FBI agent Anthony Imel testified Monday he highlighted a spot on the ground where the weapon fell following the former North Charleston officer Michael Slager’s encounter with Walter Scott. Imel said the stun gun lay several feet behind Slager as Scott ran from him.
Slager shot Scott in the back five times following an April 2015 traffic stop. Slager has said he shot Scott in self-defense after Scott grabbed at his stun gun and charged at him.
Prosecutors also played video showing Slager running back to the spot where the stun gun lay, picking it up and later dropping it by Scott’s body.
A federal judge this week is considering how much time Slager should spend in prison.
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3:30 p.m.
A state agent who interviewed a former South Carolina police officer after the fatal shooting of a black man says Michael Slager’s stun gun wasn’t tested for fingerprints.
State Law Enforcement Division Lt. Charles Ghent gave that testimony while being questioned Monday by defense attorney Andy Savage. Ghent interviewed Slager several days after the April 2015 death of Walter Scott.
Slager has said he feared for his life when Scott grabbed at his stun gun and charged at him.
A judge is hearing testimony as he considers how much time Slager should spend in prison for violating Scott’s civil rights.
Ghent testified earlier that Slager told him he and Scott struggled over his stun gun.
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1 p.m.
A lawman who interviewed a former South Carolina police officer after the fatal shooting of a motorist says Michael Slager didn’t claim the man used his own stun gun on him.
State Law Enforcement Division Lt. Charles Ghent testified Monday that Slager demonstrated how he struggled on the ground with Walter Scott following an April 2015 traffic stop.
Ghent also said Slager said the men struggled over his stun gun but didn’t claim Scott had used the device on him. By that point, Ghent said Slager had already deployed his stun gun several times, meaning that its prongs weren’t a threat and that it could only be used directly on someone’s skin.
Slager has said he feared for his life when Scott grabbed at his stun gun and charged at him.
A judge this week is hearing testimony as he considers how much time Slager should spend in prison for violating Scott’s civil rights.
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11:45 a.m.
The man who filmed the shooting of an unarmed black motorist by a South Carolina police officer has taken the stand at the former lawman’s sentencing hearing.
Feidin Santana testified Monday he was on his way to his job as a barber when he saw North Charleston officer Michael Slager running after Walter Scott in April 2015.
Santana said he saw Slager shoot Scott, who fell to the ground and never got up again. He said he started filming the encounter because he felt like something was going to happen that he should record.
Santana also said he did not see Scott take Slager’s stun gun and charge at the officer. Slager has said he felt threatened when Scott grabbed his stun gun.
Officials expect Slager’s sentencing on a federal civil rights charge to last several days. Slager has been in jail since pleading guilty in May to violating Scott’s civil rights.
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10:30 a.m.
Attorneys for a former South Carolina police officer have played cellphone video of their client shooting an unarmed, fleeing motorist in the back.
Defense attorney Andy Savage also played dashcam video Monday of former North Charleston officer Michael Slager pulling over Walter Scott for a broken brake light in April 2015.
Scott was shot five times in the back as he fled. Savage displayed the videos during the start of a hearing to determine Slager’s sentence in Scott’s death.
Slager is heard telling dispatchers that Scott had grabbed his stun gun, and Savage says he played the videos to show his client’s professionalism in how he handled the stop.
Slager was tried on murder charges last year, but the jury deadlocked. The state dropped its case against Slager as part of his federal plea deal and he has been in jail since pleading guilty in May to violating Scott’s civil rights.
Officials expect sentencing to last several days.
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10:00 a.m.
Sentencing proceedings are underway for a former South Carolina police officer who shot an unarmed black motorist to death following a traffic stop.
Michael Slager returned to federal court Monday to see how long he’ll spend in prison for the death of Walter Scott. He has been in jail since pleading guilty in May to violating Scott’s civil rights and wore a striped prison jumpsuit in court Monday.
The former North Charleston police officer pulled Scott over for a traffic violation in April 2015. He said he shot Scott in self-defense when Scott tried to grab his Taser, but eyewitness video shows Scott was shot multiple times in the back as he fled.
Slager was tried on murder charges last year, but the jury deadlocked. The state dropped its case against Slager as part of his federal plea deal.
Officials expect sentencing to last several days.
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4:30 a.m.
A former South Carolina police officer is returning to court to learn how long he’ll spend in federal prison for the shooting death of an unarmed black motorist following a traffic stop.
Sentencing starts Monday for Michael Slager. The former North Charleston police officer has been in jail since pleading guilty in May to violating Walter Scott’s civil rights.
Slager pulled Scott over for a traffic violation in April 2015. He said he shot Scott in self-defense when Scott tried to grab his Taser. But eyewitness video shows Scott was shot multiple times in the back as he fled.
Slager was tried on murder charges last year, but the jury deadlocked. The state dropped its case against Slager as part of his federal plea deal. Officials expect sentencing to last several days.
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