Michael Slager: 'I'm afraid now, is he going to take my weapon and shoot me?'
NORTH CHARLESTON (WCSC) - In a new document released in the Michael Slager case, the ex-North Charleston police officer says he feared for his life before shooting and killing Walter Scott.
The document was filed by prosecutors in response to a document filed by Micheal Slager's attorneys, who say Slager is the victim in the case.
The new document includes interviews with both Slager and Feiden Santana, who took the cell phone video of the shooting.
In an April 7, 2015 interview with an agent from the State Law Enforcement Division, Slager said he got into a struggle with Scott over his taser.
Slager said he and Scott struggled and Scott grabbed the barrel of his taser, jerked it out of his hand and pointed the barrel directly at him with his arms out.
During the interview Slager stated, "I'm afraid now. Is he going to tase me and take my weapon? Am I going home tonight to my pregnant wife? Is he going to take my weapon and shoot me?"
Slager told the SLED agent he was winded, tired, breathing heavy and he was in fear of his life.
Slager said Scott had the taser in his right hand and was pointing it directly at him.
Slags told the SLED agent he stepped off to his left side, "shuffle-stepping," as he was trained to do to get out of the way.
According to the document, Slager said that as we was going to the left he pulled his gun and fired multiple times.
Slager said that Scott was turning to his left as Slager fired.
Scott ran off, stumbled into the grass and fell to the ground.
Slager said that he was still standing with his gun pointed at Scott when Scott fell.
Slager said it all happened so fast.
That day Slager was charged with murder. Prosecutors say he shot and killed an unarmed Scott as Scott was trying to get away.
The new document also details SLED interviews with the man who took the cell phone video of the shooting. Agents interviewed Feidin Santana four times after the shooting.
Santana said on the day of the shooting he saw Slager attempt to grab Scott's arm.
He told a SLED agent Scott tried to get rid of the officer by pulling his arm away and began to turn and run at the same time.
Santana described Scott's actions to be as of someone was trying to grab you and you don't want them to control you.
Santana told the agent he saw a black object d rop and did not know what it was. He said he could see both of Scott's hands and from what he saw, he did not believe Scott had anything in his hands.
He said that he also could not see anything in Slager's hands but could not see his right hand clearly.
According to Santana, Scott started running and that's when Slager took his gun out. Santana did not recall Scott or Slager saying anything to each other at that point.
Slager then shot at Scott several times.
Santana said he was unsure how many shots were fired until he later reviewed his video of the incident.
He described them to be "a lot" of shots. Slager then said "shots fired." Santana said there was a gap between the shots and that was around the time Scott fell to the ground.
He told the SLED agent that after Slager handcuffed Scott, He bent down to pick something up. Santana said he was unsure of what the object was and which hand Slager picked to up in.
Slager then walked back to the area where Scott was and was standing to the right of him, according to Santana.
Santana said as he watched, he commented on the video that "it was abuse," a few times.
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