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Family of unarmed black man fatally shot by police plan suit

BY BRUCE SMITH

AP
Walter Scott was killed by a North Charleston, S.C., police officer after a traffic stop on April 4. The officer, Michael Thomas Slager, has been fired and charged with murder.
Walter Scott was killed by a North Charleston, S.C., police officer after a traffic stop on April 4. The officer, Michael Thomas Slager, has been fired and charged with murder. AP The Scott Family
CHARLESTON, S.C.

The family of an unarmed black man who was fatally shot by a police officer in South Carolina says they are happy a grand jury has indicted the former officer on a murder charge.

A lawyer for the family of 50-year-old Walter Scott says they plan to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the city of North Charleston. Attorney Chris Stewart’s announcement came moments after a prosecutor announced the indictment Monday.

Walter Scott’s brother Rodney Scott says the family is “very happy and pleased” with the indictment of former officer Michael Slager, who is white.

The shooting April 4 was captured on video by a bystander and showed Slager firing eight times as Scott ran away after a traffic stop.

The shooting rekindled an ongoing national debate about the treatment of black suspects at the hands of white officers.

This story was originally published June 8, 2015 at 1:17 PM with the headline "Family of unarmed black man fatally shot by police plan suit."

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