Michael Slager is a former police officer from Charleston, South Carolina who is currently serving time in jail for shooting Walter Scott in the back. ^[0]Slager hails originally from New Jersey. Prior to his arrest, he lived in Hanahan, South Carolina.

Slager's last name translates to "Butcher" in German.

Slager attended Lenape High School in Medford, New Jersey.

Slager worked for the North Charleston Police Department for five years. He previously served in the U.S. Coast Guard. Ironically, the man he shot was also a Coast Guard veteran.

Prior to joining the Coast Guard in 2003, Slager was a waiter.

He applied for a job with the North Charleston Police in January 2009 on the recommendation of another North Charleston officer.

Slager was accused of excessive force in 2013 when a man said Slager shot him with a Taser for no reason, but an internal investigation cleared Slager of wrongdoing.

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Slager is married.

His wife was eight months pregnant at the time of his arrest.

He also has two stepchildren.

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Slager was fired and arrested three days after video of the shooting emerged in April 2015.

North Charleston Police Chief Eddie Diggers said he was “sickened” by what he saw on the video.

^[4]Slager was held in jail in solitary confinement until December 2016 and was then released on bail.

Slager went on trial for murder in South Carolina state court last year.

The jury could not reach a decision on the charges, which also included manslaughter, and a judge declared a mistrial in December.

Slager claimed that he thought Scott had taken his taser from him and he fired because he felt threatened.

However, the judge ruled that Slager used deadly force even though it was "objectively unreasonable under the circumstances.”

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