Musicians have paid tribute to Walter Scott, the unarmed black man shot in the back and killed by a South Carolina police officer on Saturday (April 4).
Rapper Big Boi and Janelle Monae are among the musicians taking to twitter to show their support. Big Boi posted a photo of the hashtag #WalterScott, while Janelle Monáe wrote: “This brought tears to my eyes. #WalterScott reminds me of my uncle, family. Can only imagine the pain his fam feels.”
— Big Boi (@BigBoi) April 8, 2015
RT @IlllIllIl: This is a cop "fearing for his life" #WalterScott pic.twitter.com/jC1XVNLcBc
— Big Boi (@BigBoi) April 7, 2015
This brought tears to my eyes. #WalterScott reminds me of my uncle, family. Can only imagine the pain his fam feels: http://t.co/ycqujXjDnn
— Janelle Monáe, Cindi (@JanelleMonae) April 7, 2015
Footage of the shooting filmed by an anonymous bystander was posted online by South Carolina’s The Post & Courier on Tuesday (April 7).
Initially pulled over for a traffic violation, the 50-year old unarmed man was shot in the back eight times by North Charleston police officer Michael Slager. 33-year old Slager has now been charged with his murder, the Guardian reports.
Slager’s case continues the ongoing protest against US police brutality and racial discrimination towards black suspects. The July 2014 death of Staten Island man Eric Garner from police chokehold and the August 2014 shooting of black teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri caused outrage across the globe.