The South Carolina police officer charged with murder for shooting Walter Scott to death will probably not face the death penalty if he is convicted, the local prosecutor said.
The prosecutor, Scarlett Wilson, said in a statement Monday that the shooting did not appear to meet any of the “aggravating circumstances” for which the death penalty applies under South Carolina law.
Those circumstances include criminal sexual conduct, physical torture, dismemberment, burglary and poisoning.
Officer Michael Slager, 33, of the North Charleston police was captured on video firing eight shots at Scott, who was apparently unarmed and was running away from the officer. Slager had stopped Scott for a broken taillight.
Slager would still be eligible for a sentence up to life in prison. A lawyer identified in The Post and Courier newspaper as representing Slager did not immediately return a call for comment.
IN-DEPTH
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