Police Brutality / Individual record
Walter Scott
Walter Scott was shot in the back as he ran from a North Charleston police officer after a traffic stop.
- Record ID
- PB-147
- Date of death
- April 4, 2015
- Outcome
- Fatal
- Location
- North Charleston, SC
- Agency
- North Charleston Police Department
- Category
- Police shooting
What happened
On April 4, 2015, North Charleston officer Michael Slager stopped Walter Scott's car over a brake light and pursued him when he ran. Slager deployed a Taser during the chase. Scott, who was unarmed, got up and ran again. Slager fired eight rounds, striking Scott five times from behind and killing him. Bystander Feidin Santana's video contradicted Slager's first account of the encounter, including his assertion that Scott posed an immediate Taser threat when he fired. A state murder prosecution ended in a mistrial. Slager later pleaded guilty to a federal civil-rights violation, admitting that his use of deadly force was unlawful. On December 7, 2017, a federal judge sentenced him to 20 years in prison; South Carolina dismissed its murder charge under the negotiated resolution. The federal conviction is an adjudicated outcome, not merely an allegation.
Investigation & findings
Former officer Michael Slager pleaded guilty to a federal civil-rights charge and was sentenced to prison.
Last reviewed: October 25, 2026
Sources & records
- Primary source
- Methodology and national police killings trackingMapping Police Violence · Dataset/methodology