The Latest: Defence witness says officer, motorist struggled

CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Latest on the trial of a former South Carolina police officer charged with murder in the shooting death of an unarmed black motorist (all times local):

1:10 p.m.

A defence witness says that enhanced video shows former South Carolina patrolman Michael Slager struggling on the ground with Walter Scott before Slager shot the black motorist as he ran away.

Forensics video analyst Grant Fredericks testified Thursday that he enhanced the cellphone video taken by a passerby that recorded Slager’s shooting of Scott in April 2015 during a traffic stop.

Fredericks said the enhancement was intended to clarify and stabilize the images.

Although the video is shaky and blurry in spots, Fredericks said it shows Scott on his side with his arm around Slager’s upper body. Fredericks also said Slager’s left hand can be seen holding Scott’s wrist, and Taser wires tangled around Slager before the shooting.

Slager is on trial for murder in the death of 50-year-old Scott.

___

10:15 p.m.

A defence witness says that enhanced video in the Michael Slager murder trial has testified that a prosecution animation of Slager shooting Walter Scott is inaccurate.

Slager is the former South Carolina patrolman charged with murder in the shooting death of an unarmed black motorist after an April 2015 traffic stop. The shooting of 50-year-old Scott was captured on cellphone video that stunned the nation.

Forensics video analyst Grant Fredericks testified Thursday that frames in the prosecution animation shown Wednesday were stretched, making it appear Scott was farther away from Slager than he was at the time of the shooting. He also testified that dashcam video taken from Slager’s cruise in the animation did not include all the video frames available from the camera.

___

3:40 a.m.

The defence has opened its case in the murder trial of Michael Slager, the white former South Carolina patrolman charged in the shooting death of an unarmed black motorist.

Slager is charged in the April 2015 shooting of 50-year-old Walter Scott as he ran from a traffic stop. Cellphone video recorded by a bystander shows Scott being shot five times in the back.

The defence contends the two men struggled and Scott got hold of the officer’s Taser before the shooting.

The prosecution rested late Wednesday after calling 32 witnesses over nine days.

The first defence witness was an audio expert who played enhanced audio from Slager’s uniform microphone in which the officer warns Scott he is firing his stun gun.