South Carolina

The Latest: Defense attacks prosecution animation of slaying

Associated Press
Published | Updated

Former North Charleston police officer Michael Slager, listens during his murder trial at the Charleston County court in Charleston, S.C. Thursday, Nov. 17, 2016. (Grace Beahm/Post and Courier via AP, Pool) (The Associated Press)

Ninth Circuit Solicitor Scarlett Wilson speaks during the trial of former North Charleston police officer Michael Slager at the Charleston County court in Charleston, S.C., Thursday, Nov. 17, 2016. (Grace Beahm/Post and Courier via AP, Pool) (The Associated Press)

Judge Clifton Newman speaks during the trial of former North Charleston police officer Michael Slager at the Charleston County court in Charleston, S.C., Thursday, Nov. 17, 2016. (Grace Beahm/Post and Courier via AP, Pool) (The Associated Press)

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):

10:45 a.m.

A defense witness 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.

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3:40 a.m.

The defense 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 defense 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 defense 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.