Last Friday, a jury deadlocked in the trial of ex-cop Michael Slager, and the judge sent the group back for further deliberations. On Monday, the jury received additional instructions and huddled up for several more hours to reach a total of 22 hours of deliberations. They remained deadlocked, and Circuit Judge Clifton Newman issued a mistrial.
In April 2015, Slager, who is white, pulled over the unarmed Walter Scott, a black man. This was a routine traffic stop for a broken taillight in North Charleston, South Carolina. Slager maintained that he acted in self defense and claimed that Scott grabbed his stun gun, and he feared for his life. However, video footage showed that Slager pursued Scott and shot him in the back from a distance of about 18 feet.
Friday’s deliberations saw one lone juror holdout, who informed the judge that she could not vote to convict Slager. Regardless, the judge asked the jury to consider both murder and voluntary manslaughter verdicts. After plenty of back and forth, unanimity within the group proved impossible:
In a statement read by Circuit Judge Clifton Newman, the jury said “We as the jury regret to inform the court” that they were unable to come “to a unanimous decision in the case of the state versus Michael Slager” on Monday afternoon after a day of questions and deliberation.
“The court therefore must declare a mistrial in this case and I so declare that is case is mistried,” he said after the jury returned to the room and confirmed their decision.
A live blog from the Post and Courier reveals the many instructions and clarifications issued to the jury over the course of their deliberations. Slager, who has been free on bond since January, faced anywhere from two years to life in prison if convicted.
The city of North Charleston has committed to paying a $6.5 settlement to Walter Scott’s family.
UPDATE: Prosecutor Scarlett Wilson has stated her hopes to retry the case in the future: “We hope the federal and state courts will coordinate efforts regarding any future trials dates but we stand ready whenever the court calls.”
(Via Post and Courier, NBC News & USA Today)