Handout via Reuters
Lawyers for the South Carolina police officer who fatally shot an unarmed black man during a traffic stop filed court documents Tuesday alleging that Walter Scott had drugs in his system and pointed the cop’s Taser at him before he was killed. Attorneys for Michael Slager, who was charged with murder, submitted the documents ahead of a bail hearing Thursday. The filings allege that Scott had traces of cocaine and alcohol in his blood, his DNA was found on Slager’s Taser, and gunshot residue was found on Scott’s hands, which purportedly indicates there was a struggle for the weapons. Slager stopped the 50-year-old for a broken brake light and after Scott fled on foot, a bystander’s video captured what appeared to be the end of a struggle. Scott turned to run and Slager fired eight times.