Mother of SC man shot to death by officer: 'I pray that this never happen to another person'
Judy Scott, whose 50-year-old son Walter "Lamar" Scott was shot to death Saturday by a police officer now charged with murder, spoke out to ABC News in a tearful interview, saying she hopes no one else will die in the way her son did.
"I pray that this never happen to another person," she said. "This has got to stop."
Video obtained by ABC News appears to show North Charleston officer Michael Slager shooting Scott in the back as Scott runs away.
"It tore my heart to pieces," Scott's mother said of when she saw the video.
Click here to see the raw video (Warning: Graphic.)
The video was important evidence in the decision to charge Slager, said North Charleston mayor Keith Summey in a press conference Tuesday.
"I can tell you that as a result of that video and the bad decision made by our officer he will be charged with murder and that's not something that we like to hear," he said.
The officer called in backup during a foot pursuit after Scott exited his vehicle during a traffic stop, according to the police report. Scott had warrants because of unpaid child support, ABC News reports.
Slager said that Scott had stolen his Taser. It is unclear in the video whether Scott or Slager has possession of the Taser.
"Shots fired and the subject is down, he took my taser," Slager said on the radio, according to the police report.
Slager was formally charged with murder after speaking with investigators Tuesday. The Scott family attorney, Success Stewart, told "Good Morning America" they will pursue every legal avenue possible, including a civil suit against North Charleston.
"We will be seeking recovery to the fullest extent of the law," he said. "We are going to be filing a major civil law suit against all the parties from this tragedy."
Scott's mother, meanwhile, hopes that her son will be remembered as she remembers him.
"From a child he has been raised in the church," she said. "He would call his mom every single day. They never got in trouble. They had a beautiful childhood, and I had no problem."
