NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C., April 13 (UPI) -- A North Charleston, S.C., police officer charged with murder for shooting a suspect in the back five times will not face the death penalty if he's convicted of the crime.
Charleston County's chief prosecutor, Scarlett Wilson, said Slager's case doesn't meet any of the 22 circumstances in which the death penalty may apply to a murder conviction.
"Under South Carolina law, this case is not death penalty-eligible," she said in a statement issued Monday.
"There are aggravating circumstances which can take a murder case from being a maximum of life to death being the maximum sentence. None of those factors are present in this case."
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Wilson also said that since there hasn't been a defense request for bond, one hasn't been set.
Slager was charged with murder April 6 for the shooting death of 50-year-old Walter Scott two days prior.
Scott died after Slager pulled him over for a traffic stop and discovered a warrant out for the man's arrest in family court. Slager initially said he followed protocol when he shot Scott, saying the man had grabbed his Taser.
Video of the incident begins in the middle of the confrontation, showing Scott slapping at Slager's hands as unidentified objects fall to the ground. Scott then runs away from Slager with apparent Taser wires stretching from Scott to the officer's hands.
The officer then fires off seven rapid shots, pauses, then fires an eighth round at Slager, who then falls to the ground face first. Slager then radios for help and handcuffs Scott.
Once a second officer arrives, Slager can be seen picking up an item and dropping it next to Scott as he lays on the ground. It's unclear what that object is.
Video from the dash cam in Slager's patrol vehicle was later released, showing the traffic stop. After Slager returns to his patrol vehicle to check Scott's license, Scott exits his car and runs away.
