North Charleston Councilman Defends Officer Michael Slager After Walter Scott Shooting, Slams Black Protesters

A senior councilman in North Charleston said residents should support the officer who has been charged for fatally shooting Walter Scott, according to NBC News. Bobby Jameson, who is also mayor pro tem, said the city should support Officer Michael Slager "as best we can until all the facts about this case are out because, one, he's a hard-working officer and, two, he's an employee of this city."

Slager, 33, was charged with murder Tuesday after a graphic video emerged that showed the officer firing eight shots and killing Scott as he ran away from the officer. Slager initially said Scott, 50, attempted to take his stun gun during a scuffle following a traffic stop for a broken tail light, according to the New York Times.

Jameson also spoke out against protesters who had begun to gather outside North Charleston's City Hall Wednesday morning. "The NAACP and those people make it look like, to the rest of the black community, that you are doing something by screaming 'Justice, Justice, Justice,'" Jameson said to NBC. "Well, a man's already been charged with murder. What more justice do you want?"

He went on: "Let's have the facts come out. ... That demonstration out here has nothing to do with the city of North Charleston. It has to do with the show that they want to put on to the black community across the nation."

During the protest, demonstrators held signs reading “Stop racist police terror” and “All lives matter." Jameson told NBC News that North Charleston does not have a race problem, but does have a drug problem.

"We have our issues. If I could make some changes, I would," he said. "I'm sure any city across the nation would probably say they could make some changes, but all in all our police officers walking the streets … do very good work and a very good job."