A South Carolina jury deliberated for about an hour in the murder trial of former North Charleston police officer Michael Slager before heading home Wednesday evening.
The jury, made up of 11 white jurors and one African-American, had been instructed to go as long as it could after closing arguments wrapped up Wednesday.
Slager is accused of killing Walter Scott, an unarmed black motorist, during a routine traffic stop for a faulty brake light on April 4, 2015.
Slager testified Tuesday that his mind was like “spaghetti” during the altercation that ended with him shooting eight times at Scott, 50, as he was running away. Three of those bullets struck Scott in the back.
The shooting was captured on a cell phone video.
The trial has lasted five weeks.
Scott was a father of four children and had served in the Coast Guard before being honorably discharged.
In a news conference during deliberations, Scott family attorney Chris Stewart said: “It’s up to the jury and God right now.”
Scott’s brother, Anthony Scott, continued to express confidence the family will get what it feels is justice.
“It’s been a long, hard five weeks, and we just continuously believe in God and ask for the continuous prayer of the city, the state and the country,” Anthony Scott said. “And we do believe that we will get the guilty verdict and that we will receive justice for my brother.”
Deliberations will continue on Thursday at 9:30 a.m.