How Jeff Sessions will enable more Michael Slagers

[DonViejo]

By Radley Balko May 4 at 2:07 PM

This week, the Justice Department announced a plea bargain with Michael Slager, the former North Charleston, S.C., police officer who killed Walter Scott by shooting him in the back as he fled during a traffic stop. As part of the deal, Slager will plead guilty to violating Scott’s civil rights in exchange for the other charges against him being dropped, including a murder charge.

The excerpt below is from the DOJ’s statement on the agreement.

“The Department of Justice will hold accountable any law enforcement officer who violates the civil rights of our citizens by using excessive force,” said Attorney General Sessions. “Such failures of duty not only harm the individual victims of these crimes; they harm our country, by eroding trust in law enforcement and undermining the good work of the vast majority of honorable and honest police officers. As our Department works to support the courageous and professional law enforcement personnel who risk their lives every day to protect us, we will also ensure that police officers who abuse their sacred trust are made to answer for their misconduct.”

Those are some pretty harsh words for Slager. There are a couple of things worth remembering here, though.

First, were it not for a citizen-shot video, Slager almost certainly would never have been charged. His initial report claimed that he shot Scott because Scott was holding Slager’s Taser. The video shows that not only was this not true, it shows Slager dropping the Taser near Scott after shooting him.

more
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-watch/wp/2017/05/04/how-jeff-sessions-will-enable-more-michael-slagers/?utm_term=.b409aa7545a5&wpisrc=nl_popns&wpmm=1

[Turbineguy]

1. Aptly named.

Slager is Dutch for Butcher.

[angstlessk]

2. Ya know I used to be able to read these articles fully, knowing I might not like it, but lately...

with the he said/she said part that is so very biased, and suspecting the future of what is likely to occur, it makes me ill to continue reading!

[Wellstone ruled]

3. Now the Cival Suit can move forward.