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Former S.C. Officer Gets 20 Years In Prison For Killing Walter Scott

Former police officer Michael Slager was sentenced after pleading guilty to a federal civil rights charge.

Former S.C. Officer Gets 20 Years In Prison For Killing Walter Scott
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A judge sentenced former police office Michael Slager to 20 years in prison for killing Walter Scott.

Slager pleaded guilty to a federal civil rights offense, putting his fate in the hands of the judge. 

U.S. District Judge David Norton ruled Slager committed second-degree murder when he shot and killed the unarmed black man. Norton also said Slager committed obstruction of justice.

In April 2015, Slager pulled over Walter Scott for a broken taillight. Dashcam video shows that after a short conversation, Scott ran away from the car and that after a foot chase, Slager fired eight shots, killing Scott.

This federal case is separate from his charges in South Carolina state court. In his state trial, the jury couldn't come to a unanimous decision, and the case ended in a mistrial. As part of Slager's federal plea deal, the state of South Carolina dropped its pending murder charge.