NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. — Dash cam video of a traffic stop provided another piece of evidence Thursday in a fatal police shooting. It showed no indication of any physical or verbal threats before the driver bolted and the officer chased after him.
The video, released Thursday by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, shows what begins as a seemingly routine stop for a broken tail light. The officer, Michael Slager, approaches the used Mercedes-Benz driven by Walter Lamer Scott, and asks for license and registration. There’s a brief exchange, and the officer returns to his cruiser.
Scott then takes off running. The officer chases after him, also leaving the dash camera’s view.
Slager’s file includes a single excessive use-of-force complaint, from 2013: A man said Slager used his stun gun against him without reason. But Slager was exonerated and the case closed, even though witnesses told The Associated Press that investigators never followed up with them.
Mario Givens, the man who accused Slager of excessive force in 2013, said he’s convinced Scott’s death could have been prevented if Slager had been disciplined in his case.
“If they had just listened to me and investigated what happened that night, this man might be alive today,” he said.
