After pleading guilty in May to a federal civil rights offense in the death of Walter Scott, former South Carolina police officer Michael Slager was sentenced Thursday to 20 years in prison for second-degree murder and obstruction of justice, The Post and Courier reports. In April 2015, Slager fatally shot the unarmed Scott as he fled a routine traffic stop.
Three days after the shooting, a witness posted a video online of Slager shooting Scott multiple times in the back as Scott ran away. The footage of Scott's death sparked protests and demonstrations in South Carolina and across the country, and Slager was arrested on a murder charge shortly after the clip went viral.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Alterations: 'riveting' 1970s tailoring comedy is a lot of funThe Week Recommends 'Retro gem' from the National Theatre's Black Plays Archive 'springs into life' from the start
-
Has World Book Day become a 'horror show'?Talking Point Annual event to encourage children to read for pleasure is sore spot for parents under 'growing pressure' to create character costumes
-
Festival of Sport announces exciting media partnership with The Week JuniorFestival of Sport, the UK’s premier family-friendly sports festival, has officially teamed up with The Week Junior as its exclusive media partner.
-
Mexico extradites 29 cartel figures amid US tariff threatSpeed Read The extradited suspects include Rafael Caro Quintero, long sought after killing a US narcotics agent
-
Leonard Peltier released from prisonSpeed Read The Native American activist convicted of killing two FBI agents had his life sentence commuted by former President Joe Biden
-
Ex-Sen. Bob Menendez sentenced to 11 yearsSpeed Read The former New Jersey senator was convicted on federal bribery and corruption charges last year
-
Police ID driver of exploded Cybertruck, can't see motiveSpeed Read An Army Green Beret detonated a homemade bomb in a Tesla Cybertruck in front of the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas
-
Teenage girl kills 2 in Wisconsin school shootingSpeed Read 15-year-old Natalie Rupnow fatally shot a teacher and student at Abundant Life Christian School
-
Penny acquitted in NYC subway choking deathSpeed Read Daniel Penny was found not guilty of homicide in the 2023 choking death of Jordan Neely
-
Suspect in CEO shooting caught, charged with murderSpeed Read Police believe 26-year-old Luigi Mangione killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson
-
UnitedHealthcare CEO killed in 'brazen, targeted' hitSpeed Read Police are conducting a massive search for Brian Thompson's shooter
