POLICE BRUTALITY CASES: WALTER SCOTT MURDER & MORE

[HairOfTheDog]

^ Michael Slager, the former North Charleston police officer charged with murder for shooting a fleeing man after a traffic stop, refused to speak to investigators at the scene that day, officials revealed Tuesday.

When South Carolina Law Enforcement Division investigators from the agency arrived at the shooting scene around 10:30 a.m. on April 4, less than an hour after Slager fatally shot Walter Scott, Slager told them to talk to his attorney.

"We ceased any questioning and we then contacted his attorney," Division spokesman Thom Berry told The Times on Tuesday.

David Aylor, who at the time was representing Slager, told law enforcement officials that he would make Slager available to investigators on April 7 at his office.

Before investigators had the chance to interview him, Slager released a statement April 6 through Aylor's office. The statement claimed the two had wrestled for control of his stun gun and Slager felt threatened, which led him to use his firearm.

Following the release of the cellphone video that contested Slager's version of events, Aylor removed himself as Slager's attorney. Neither Aylor or Slager's current attorney, Andy Savage, could immediately be reached for comment.

Ref: http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/...story.html
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I don't have any problem with anybody getting an attorney -- police officer or otherwise.

But, I think Slager's calmness and deceptions immediately after he shot Walter Scott, his refusal to answer investigators' routine questions on the scene, and his being lawyered-up within one hour of the shooting -- in combination -- paint Slager as pretty cold and calculating. He sure didn't seem concerned about Walter Scott.

Even if he is cold and calculating and if the murder was premeditated, Slager won't face the death penalty though. None of the circumstances that allow lethal punishment apply because there were no statutory 'aggravating circumstances' in the murder, such as kidnapping, robbery, drug trafficking, poison or physical torture.

Prosecutors will present the case to a grand jury. If Slager is indicted and eventually convicted of first degree murder, he'll be looking at 30 to life.