CHARLESTON, S.C. – A white former South Carolina police officer charged with murder in the shooting death of a black motorist won't be released before his trial.
Circuit Judge Clifton Newman on Monday denied bond for Michael Slager. In a brief order, he said releasing Slager would "constitute an unreasonable danger to the community."
The former North Charleston officer has been held in solitary confinement since his arrest on murder charges in the April 4 shooting death of Walter Scott.
A bystander's cellphone video showed Slager firing eight times as Scott tried to run from a traffic stop. The incident inflamed the national debate about how blacks are treated by law officers.
Prosecution and defense attorneys sparred over the bond question during a hearing Thursday and met again to discuss the case Friday.
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