The federal civil rights trial of former North Charleston, South Carolina police officer Michael Slager was scheduled to begin today. Slater shot and killed motorist Walter Scott in April 2015 after Scott ran away during a routine traffic stop. Slager accepted a plea deal rather than go to trial. He pled guilty to violating Scott’s civil rights and will be sentenced up to 25 years later this year. The state charges were dropped as a condition of the plea agreement.