Bond hearing set for ex-officer charged in shooting death

A bond hearing has been set for a white former police officer charged in the death of a black South Carolina motorist who was shot as he ran away from a traffic stop.

Attorneys for Michael Slager will argue Aug. 27 before Circuit Court Judge Clifton Newman that their client should be released on bail.

Slager, a former North Charleston police officer, is charged with murder in the April 4 shooting death of 50-year-old Walter Scott. A bystander’s cellphone video showed Slager firing eight times as Scott tried to run away.

The shooting inflamed the national debate about how blacks are treated by white law enforcement officers.

Attorney Andy Savage, who represents Slager, said in court documents earlier this month that his client, who is being held in solitary confinement, should have a chance to seek release on bond.

Bruce Smith, Associated Press