Slager in court in November.
Pool / Getty Images
The South Carolina police officer filmed fatally shooting a fleeing black man in the back in 2015 will plead guilty to federal civil rights charges, according to multiple reports.
A bystander filmed then-North Charleston Officer Michael Slager firing his handgun multiple times, striking Walter Scott in the back as he ran away following a traffic stop related to a burned-out brake light on April 4, 2015.
Slager had testified in state court that he acted "in total fear" after Scott had tried to take his taser.
Warning: This video is graphic
As part of an agreement reached with federal prosecutors, Slager will plead guilty to violating Scott's civil rights to be free from the use of unreasonable force by a law enforcement officer, according to a copy of the agreement obtained by the Associated Press. (It was not immediately clear how Slager would plead to two other federal charges: using a gun to commit a violent crime and lying to investigators).
In exchange for his guilty plea, state prosecutors will drop a separate murder case against the former police officer, the AP reported. State prosecutors had vowed to retry Slager following a mistrial in December when a jury deadlocked and could not reach a unanimous verdict on murder or manslaughter charges.
A federal judge could sentence Scott to life in prison or hand him no jail time at all.
The Post and Courier and the Washington Post also reported the news of the plea agreement Tuesday, citing sources.
Slager's attorneys and federal prosecutors did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A copy of the plea agreement was not immediately available on a federal court database.
This is a developing news story. Check back for updates or follow BuzzFeed News on Twitter.
Mistrial Declared In The Case Of A Former Cop Who Shot And Killed Walter Scott
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