Hillary Clinton called the family of Walter Scott, an unarmed black man killed by a police officer earlier this year, to extend her condolences, a spokesman for the Scott family told CNN on Wednesday.
Clinton, who was in South Carolina on Wednesday for a series of campaign events, spoke with Judy Scott, Walter’s mother, before she took the stage at a young unemployment event in North Charleston, just two miles from where Scott was killed.
Ryan Julison, spokesman for the attorneys representing the Scott Family, said that Clinton called to offer her condolences and promised she was “going to work to make sure this doesn’t happen to another family.”
“She told Mrs. Scott that she was very sorry for her family having to go through this,” Julison said of Clinton’s conversation.
The phone call lasted about 5 minutes, according to the spokesman.
“Mrs. Scott asked if it was possible for them to meet, to which Secretary Clinton said they would try to make that happen next time she was in the area,” Julison said.
“Judy Scott was very appreciative,” he said. “Mrs. Clinton is the first presidential candidate to call the family and she was really impressed with what Mrs. Clinton has to say.”
Scott was shot in the back in April by former police officer Michael T. Slager after being pulled over for a broken taillight. His death was recorded by a bystander, and the graphic footage sparked outrage and reignited a national conversation around race and policing.
A grand jury indicted Slager on a murder charge in connection to the April shooting death earlier this month.
Before she called the family, Clinton mentioned Scott at a meeting with rural leaders in Orangeburg — her first event of the day.
“I think the terrible tragedy in Charleston, which lead to an indictment, was a result of not seeing the facts of having information,” she said.
Clinton used the incident to tout the importance of body cameras on call police officers, something she called for earlier this year.
“There is a lot more we have to do on training and recruitment and community policing and more interaction with the community,” she said.
Clinton did not mention Scott during her second and final appearance of the day.