Walter Scott, left, with his brothers Anthony and Rodney who are members of ILA Local 1422.
After more than a year and a half of waiting, the family of Walter L. Scott sees some semblance of justice. In an all-too-familiar script, Scott, an unarmed Black man, was shot multiple times from behind by white police officer Michael Slager during a traffic stop in 2015. In a court decision almost unheard of in recent cases, Slager was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Dec. 7 in a Federal District Court in Charleston, S.C.
Walter Scott’s youngest brother, Rodney Scott, said: “Hopefully, it sets the platform for the future. I hope that other families that are still trying to get justice will get justice.”
The Scott case has become a beacon of hope in the seemingly hopeless task of seeking adequate accountability for police killings of U.S. residents.
The sentence, while less than South Carolina’s minimum 30-year sentence for second degree murder, demonstrates the impact of the efforts made by community organizers in Charleston.
Rodney Scott and two other close relatives of Walter Scott, Marion Green and James Gibbs, are members of the International Longshoremen’s Association Local 1422. Union members and community leaders were quick to rally together in front of the North Charleston City Hall in 2015. This was shortly after murder charges were filed against Slager. … With the power of Local 1422 and its history firmly rooted in the fight against police harassment, Charleston is an example that other areas can learn from to harness the clout of the workers’ struggle.