COLUMBIA, S.C. – Lawyers for a white former South Carolina police officer charged with killing an unarmed black man running away from a traffic stop are seeking dismissal of his federal charges.
The request filed Monday by attorneys for Michael Slager contends that forcing the former officer to defend himself against simultaneous state and federal charges is "crushing, unfair," and "highly prejudicial."
State prosecutors have charged Slager with murder in the April 2015 shooting death of Walter Scott. His first trial ended in a hung jury, and prosecutors say they will try him again later this year.
The former North Charleston officer's federal civil rights trial is scheduled to start in May. Also Monday, U.S. District Judge David Norton granted Slager's request to select jurors in his case from across South Carolina.
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Kinnard can be reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP. Read more of her work at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/meg-kinnard/
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