Former South Carolina police officer Michael Slager was sentenced to 20 years in prison for the murder of Walter Scott today. The Associated Press reports Scott’s family had asked the judge to deliver a significant sentence, even as they expressed forgiveness for Slager:
One by one, relatives of the late Walter Scott urged a judge to mete out a significant punishment for Michael Slager, the white former police officer who fatally shot Scott, an unarmed black man, in the back after a 2015 traffic stop…
“I forgive Michael Slager. I forgive you,” Scott’s mother, Judy, said as she turned toward her son’s killer. “I pray for you, that you would repent and let Jesus come in your life.”
Sitting just a few feet away, Slager wiped tears from his eyes and mouthed: “I’m sorry.”
Slager and his family also spoke to the judge in an effort to secure a lighter sentence. CNN has more on the scene in court:
Slager’s wife, Jamie, asked the judge for mercy for her husband. “My heart breaks that things cannot be changed,” she said.
Slager, looking haggard in a gray-and-white prison jumpsuit with his wrists shackled to his waist, gave his own testimony. For the past 31 months, he said, he had thought about the moment he opened fire.
“Walter Scott is no longer with his family, and I’m responsible for that,” Slager said, adding the Scott family would be forever changed without Walter.
Slager pulled Walter Scott over for a broken light. In the midst of what seemed like an ordinary traffic stop, Scott got out of the car and ran. Slager followed and used a taser to stun Scott. When Scott broke away and ran again, Slager pulled his gun and shot him five times in the back. Scott was unarmed at the time. Slager then appeared to drop his taser near where Scott had collapsed.
The shooting became a major story after video shot by a bystander was published by the media. In April 2015, Time magazine put Scott and Slager on its cover under the headline “Black Lives Matter.”
Despite the video, Slager’s state trial resulted in a hung jury. Prosecutors said they would retry the case but in May of this year, Slager pleaded guilty to federal civil rights charges. As part of the plea, the state agreed to drop the murder case against Slager. Today, the court determined that Slager’s actions constituted 2nd-degree murder. Attorney General Jeff Sessions issued a statement today offering condolences to Scott’s family:
“Law enforcement officers have the noble calling to serve and protect,” Attorney General Sessions said. “Officers who violate anyone’s rights also violate their oaths of honor, and they tarnish the names of the vast majority of officers, who do incredible work. Those who enforce our laws must also abide by them—and this Department of Justice will hold accountable anyone who violates the civil rights of our fellow Americans. On behalf of the Department of Justice, I want to offer my condolences to the Scott family and loved ones.”

According to Killedbypolice.net , at least 808 people have been killed by police so far this year, outpacing last year’s deaths by 20 victims.... and they ALL GET AWAY WITH IT!


'Please don't kill me': Cop is cleared of murder after shooting dead a sobbing father, 26, as he crawled along a hotel corridor in shocking footage which his family insists shows a 'cold-blooded execution'


  • WARNING: EXTREMELY GRAPHIC CONTENT

  • Ex-Mesa cop Philip Brailsford, 27, was found not guilty of second-degree murder in the January 2016 shooting death of Daniel Shaver

  • Shaver was staying at a La Quinta hotel in Mesa for work when police responded to a call that someone was pointing a gun out the window
  • After the verdict was announced officials released a video of the encounter 
  • In it Shaver, who was unarmed, can be heard sobbing and begging Brailsford 'please don't shoot me'

  • Brailsford opened fire after Shaver reached toward the waistband of his shorts to pull them up, saying he thought the victim was reaching for a gun 
A former Arizona police officer was found not guilty of murder Thursday of in the 2016 fatal shooting of an unarmed man outside his hotel room, as video of the shocking moment is finally released by officials.
Philip Mitchell Brailsford, 27, was found not guilty in the 2016 death of 26-year-old father-of-two Daniel Shaver, from Granbury, Texas.  
The shooting, which Shaver's family has referred to as an 'execution,' occurred in the Phoenix suburb of Mesa when officers were responding to a call that someone was pointing a gun out a window at the La Quinta Hotel. 
Police told Shaver to exit his hotel room, lay face-down in a hallway and refrain from making sudden movements - or he risked being shot.
New disturbing footage of the encounter shows the moment Shaver, sobbing and crawling towards the officer, audibly begs 'please don't kill me,' before Brailsford opens fire and shoots him dead.   
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 Philip Mitchell Brailsford, 27, was found not guilty in the 2016 death of 26-year-old father-of-two Daniel Shaver, from Granbury, Texas. Brailsford is pictured in court on October 25 at the start of the murder trial 
 Philip Mitchell Brailsford, 27, was found not guilty in the 2016 death of 26-year-old father-of-two Daniel Shaver, from Granbury, Texas. Brailsford is pictured in court on October 25 at the start of the murder trial 
The shooting occurred in the Phoenix suburb of Mesa when officers were responding to a call that someone was pointing a gun out a window at the La Quinta Hotel. Shaver is pictured with his two daughters 
The shooting occurred in the Phoenix suburb of Mesa when officers were responding to a call that someone was pointing a gun out a window at the La Quinta Hotel. Shaver is pictured with his two daughters 
In the video he can be Shaver can be seen sobbing and lying on the ground as he starts to inch himself forward. 
As he was slowly moving he pauses for a moment to reach toward the waistband of his shorts.  Brailsford said he fired his AR-15 because he believed Shaver was grabbing a handgun in his waistband.
While no gun was found on Shaver's body, two pellet rifles related to his pest-control job were later found in his room.
Shaver's family's lawyer Mark Geragos described the shooting as 'an execution pure and simple.'
After the verdict was read he said: 'The justice system miserably failed Daniel and his family.' 
In the video he can be Shaver can be seen sobbing and with his hands over his head as he gets to the ground and starts to inch himself forward
In the video he can be Shaver can be seen sobbing and with his hands over his head as he gets to the ground and starts to inch himself forward
He then puts his hands on his head and slowly inches himself forward towards Brailsford 
He then puts his hands on his head and slowly inches himself forward towards Brailsford 
As he was slowly moving he pauses for a moment to reach toward the waistband of his shorts. Brailsford said he fired his AR-15 because he believed Shaver was grabbing a handgun in his waistband
As he was slowly moving he pauses for a moment to reach toward the waistband of his shorts. Brailsford said he fired his AR-15 because he believed Shaver was grabbing a handgun in his waistband
The video then shows the moment that Brailsford opens fire and shoots Shaver five times in the chest. While no gun was found on Shaver's body, two pellet rifles related to his pest-control job were later found in his room
The video then shows the moment that Brailsford opens fire and shoots Shaver five times in the chest. While no gun was found on Shaver's body, two pellet rifles related to his pest-control job were later found in his room
The detective investigating the shooting had agreed Shaver's movement was similar to reaching for a pistol, but has said it also looked like Shaver may have been reaching to pull up his loose-fitting basketball shorts that had fallen down as he was ordered to crawl toward officers.
The investigator noted he did not see anything that would have prevented officers from simply handcuffing Shaver as he was on the floor.
Brailsford's attorney Michael Piccarreta put an arm around his client after the verdict was read.
'There are no winners in this case, but Mitch Brailsford had to make a split-second decision on a situation that he was trained to recognize as someone drawing a weapon and had one second to react,' Piccarreta said. 
'He didn't want to harm Mr. Shaver... The circumstances that night that were presented led him to conclude that he was in danger. 
'Try to make a decision in one second, life or death. It's pretty hard.'
Shaver's widow, Laney Sweet, and Shaver's parents have filed wrongful-death lawsuits against the city of Mesa over the shooting death. Shaver's family's lawyer Mark Geragos described the shooting as 'an execution pure and simple. ' Shaver, Sweet and their two children are all pictured
Shaver's widow, Laney Sweet, and Shaver's parents have filed wrongful-death lawsuits against the city of Mesa over the shooting death. Shaver's family's lawyer Mark Geragos described the shooting as 'an execution pure and simple. ' Shaver, Sweet and their two children are all pictured
Laney Sweet, left, Shiver's widow, arrives at Maricopa County Superior Court with attorney Mark Geragos, right, for the opening statements in Brailsford's murder trial. On Thursday she shook her head 'no' after the jury's decision and said she wasn't going to answer any questions
Laney Sweet, left, Shiver's widow, arrives at Maricopa County Superior Court with attorney Mark Geragos, right, for the opening statements in Brailsford's murder trial. On Thursday she shook her head 'no' after the jury's decision and said she wasn't going to answer any questions
Brailsford said that he opened fire because he only had a split-second to make the decision
He told jurors that he was terrified for the safety of officers and a woman who in the hallway. He also said he felt 'incredibly sad' for Shaver
Brailsford said that he opened fire because he only had a split-second to make the decision. He told jurors that he was terrified for the safety of officers and a woman who in the hallway. He also said he felt 'incredibly sad' for Shaver
Piccarreta also said he wasn't sure his client would be interested in trying to get his police job back.
Shaver's widow, Laney Sweet, and Shaver's parents have filed wrongful-death lawsuits against the city of Mesa over the shooting death.
Sweet shook her head 'no' after the jury's decision and said she wasn't going to answer any questions. Shaver's parents didn't respond to reporters' questions as they left the courtroom.
During his trial testimony, Brailsford described the stress that he faced in responding to the call and his split-second decision to shoot Shaver.
Brailsford told jurors that he was terrified for the safety of officers and a woman who in the hallway. He also said he felt 'incredibly sad' for Shaver.
The former cop served as a Mesa officer for about two years before he was fired for violations of departmental policy, including unsatisfactory performance.
He is one of the few police officers in the US to be charged with murder for shooting someone while on duty.
The shooting occurred as police departments across the US became focal points of protests over deadly encounters with law enforcement.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5157957/Ex-Arizona-police-officer-acquitted-fatal-hotel-shooting.html#ixzz50hrLeXQX 





According to Killedbypolice.net , at least 808 people have been killed by police so far this year, outpacing last year’s deaths by 20 victims.... and they ALL GET AWAY WITH IT!

"Police in the United States are trained to see the working class and poor as a hostile
enemy. Anything less than complete submissiveness is grounds for officers to unleash
deadly force on their victims. In some instances, even the most casual encounters with
police have proven to be deadly."

South Carolina cop sentenced to 

20 years for murder of Walter Scott


By Daniel de Vries
9 December 2017
Former South Carolina cop Michael Slager received a sentence of 20 years in prison Thursday for the April, 2015 murder of Walter Scott. The sentence handed down is one of very few instances of US police officers ordered to serve jail time, despite more than a thousand police killings each year.
Slager almost certainly would have escaped prison, like the rest of his cohort, had the shooting and cover-up not been recorded by a bystander. The North Charleston police officer claimed he acted in self-defense, supposedly fearing for his life amidst a struggle for his taser. In the immediate aftermath, the press dutifully carried the officer’s story and sought to smear the victim by dredging up past legal infractions.
Three days later, however, a cell phone video surfaced documenting nothing less than murder. Slager unloaded eight shots to the back of the unarmed 50-year-old, who was fleeing from him. After cuffing the dying man, Slager jogged back, picked up his stun gun and dropped it alongside the body.
Scott, a father of four, had been pulled over for a busted car taillight.
The damning video was viewed by millions. It sparked a wave of protests nationwide, following in the wake of demonstrations against other high-profile police killings, most notably the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri the previous August.
In the ruling handed down Thursday, US District Judge David Norton sentenced the former officer for second degree murder and obstruction of justice. Judge Norton noted in his decision the “malice and recklessness” of Slager and the false testimony he gave to investigators following the killing.
In May, the ex-cop pleaded guilty to federal civil rights offenses, settling with prosecutors in exchange for the dropping of a first degree murder charge at the state level. Conviction for the latter could have meant life in prison.
This is the second trial for Slager. In 2016, the state case ended in a mistrial, with a hung jury. Attorneys for Slager continued to argue that he felt his life was in danger, despite the video unambiguously demonstrating otherwise.
Following Thursday’s sentencing, the Scott family expressed satisfaction with the ruling. One of the victim’s brothers, Anthony Scott, thanked Feiden Santana, who had the courage to record the killing and its aftermath.

Here’s the video clip of the shooting.