South Jersey Native Involved In Police Shooting Of Unarmed Black Man In South Carolina Takes The Stand

A South Jersey native and former South Carolina cop charged with murder for shooting an unarmed black man last year testified that he was "consumed by total fear" in the moments leading up to the shooting, the New York Times reports.

Michael T. Slager, 35, took the stand on Tuesday. He is on trial for the shooting death of 50-year-old Walter Scott, of Charleston, S.C. Scott was apparently unarmed and attempting to run away following a traffic stop for a broken tail light on April 4, 2015.

As Slager chased Scott down, he testified that all he could see when Scott turned to face him was a taser in his hand, according to the report.

He also said he now realizes there was no reason Scott should've been killed, and there could've been an outcome that didn't result in him being on trial for murder.

Slager was charged and fired from his job as an officer with the North Charleston Police Department after a video of the incident surfaced.

The video shows Slager shooting Scott eight times. Slager claimed he used his taser on Scott first. He also said on the police radio that Scott had taken his taser, but the video shows Scott didn't have a taser when he was shot, and that Slager dropped his taser next to Scott following the shooting.

He couldn't explain why he dropped the taser next to Scott's body on Tuesday, but prosecutors claim is evidence he was attempting to cover up the murder by planting evidence, according to the report.

Slager said he couldn't recall much of what happened in the incident because his "mind was like spaghetti," according to USA Today.

The defense rested after Slager's testimony. He was the final of 23 witnesses called. Closing arguments were scheduled for Wednesday, and Judge Clifton Newman has granted jurors the right to visit the scene of the shooting, according to NBC News.

He also said the jurors could consider convicting Slager of manslaughter as opposed to murder, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Slager faces 35 years to life if convicted.

He is also awaiting trial in federal court on charges of violating Scott's rights, obstruction of justice, and a gun violation, according to USA Today. The city has already paid $6.5 million to the Scott family.

The attached image of Michael Slager was posted on Twitter by Charleston County Police