The case of former South Carolina police officer Michael Slager, who shot and killed Walter Scott last week after a traffic stop went horribly wrong, has gripped the country for days. While two videos have surfaced -- one from a police dash cam and the other now-infamous footage filmed by a bystander -- there is always room to debate the murder charge that has been filed against Slager. Who better to argue what might have seemed like an obvious outcome then Geraldo Rivera? Rivera believes that Slager will never be convicted of murdering Scott.
The video footage shows Scott running away from Slager as the officer opened fire, hitting the 50-year-old in the back five times, and then it appears that he planted a taser as evidence beside Scott's body. Rivera was a guest on Fox News Friday, April 11, and he insisted that prosecutors will never convict Slager of murder because it is simply not warranted.
In a heated exchange, Rivera insisted that under South Carolina law, if Slager felt that he was under imminent threat and also had a physical "tussle," then both provide legal provocation to have a murder charge reduced to manslaughter.
The initial reaction to Rivera's insistence that Slager will never be convicted of murder has been pretty negative, probably because according to what we have all seen either on television or online, the cop did not look like he was being threatened by someone who was clearly running away from him.
Do you think Rivera is right and that what sure looked like cold-blooded murder could ultimately be reduced to manslaughter?
If the murder charge against Slager does end up being reduced, do you think that will lead to protests and rioting in South Carolina, similar to what Ferguson, Missouri, experienced? Tell us your thoughts in the comments section below.
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