Family of Walter Scott not happy former police officer out on bond

Slager has been charged with murder in the death of Walter Scott, who was shot in the back in April after fleeing from a traffic stop - a deadly encounter that was captured on camera. The state judge approved bail Monday for a former SC police officer charged with killing an unarmed black motorist.

Sheriff's Department spokesman Eric Watson says Slager was released about 7 p.m. He released a statement saying the county detention center staff has prematurely posted on its website earlier that Slager has been released when in fact he was still in jail custody. A cellphone video of the shooting brought scrutiny to North Charleston of police officers' use of force against black men.

State Circuit Judge Clifton Newman said the 34-year-old could be released on house arrest with the hefty bond.

Newman granted bail after noting that Slager's trial would not begin until late this year.

One key reason Slager's trial won't start for months: Solicitor Scarlett Wilson is also prosecuting confessed Charleston church shooter Dylann Roof.

"The decision was met with gasps from Scott's family and with tears from Michael Slager's wife and parents, who appeared together for the first time in the downtown Charleston courtroom", the daily reported.

A judge says former police officer Michael Slager will have to remain in SC once he is released on bond. "Everybody is just looking forward to and preparing for the trial".

Under a typical surety bond, Slager would have to put up 10 percent of the order - in this case, $50,000 of personal funds - to engage a third party to guarantee he will show up for court appearances.

Slager's lawyers argued that keeping him in jail that long without trial was tantamount to punishing him for a crime he hadn't been convicted of yet. They accused the officer of tampering with evidence by retrieving his stun gun from where it had fallen and placing it near Scott's body.

More than a dozen people showed up in court today to support Slager.

According to the Charleston Post and Courier, Slager's attorney Andy Savage pleaded for his release because of his clients complications from celiac disease from the gluten in the jail's food. "All I can look at is a pot of flowers", Walter Scott, the victim's father, said Monday. Slager fired his Taser and soon shot Scott several times, killing him.

Savage also asked what would happen if Roof took a plea deal before his trial date, wondering if Slager's trial date would move up in response to a tidy conclusion to that high profile case.

"Doing anything to damage someone's property or to hurt another innocent individual is not doing anything that will help the Scott family", he said. Urges community to stay calm. "The only thing that can do is land you where Officer Slager is right now, which is a defendant on a criminal charge".

Joe Savitz, a criminal defense attorney in Columbia, said he wasn't surprised Slager was granted the opportunity to get out of jail, given the major events - including the Charleston church shooting and the ensuing debate over the Confederate flag - in the months since his arrest.

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