Former South Carolina police officer Michael Slager pleaded guilty in federal court Tuesday to using excessive force in the fatal shooting of Walter Scott, an unarmed black man. In exchange for his plea, Slager, who shot and killed Scott in April 2015 as Scott was running away from him after a routine traffic stop, will not face state murder charges.
Slager was fired from the force after video surfaced that showed him fatally shooting Scott in the back multiple times. He had pulled Scott over due to a broken taillight.
Slager's charge is punishable by a maximum sentence of life in prison, but The New York Times noted that "under federal sentencing guidelines, he will most likely serve far less time."
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