Mistrial declared in police shooting of Walter Scott

A judge overseeing the murder case against former police officer Michael Slager declared a mistrial Monday after jurors failed to reach a unanimous decision, according to multiple reports.

Slager, who is white, shot Walter Scott, a black man, in April of last year following a traffic stop in Charleston, S.C. 

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Circuit Judge Clifton Newman declared the mistrial after jurors deliberated for 22 hours over four days but could not reach a verdict. 

Jurors indicated earlier this week they were within one vote of returning a guilty verdict against Slager. 

Attorneys for Scott’s family said the Charleston County prosecutor who tried the case planned a retrial, according to The Washington Post.

Slager will also face trial next year in federal court on charges of depriving Scott of his civil rights. 

A video of Slager shooting Scott five times in the back went viral last year, shocking the public and inflaming the debate about how police use deadly force.