Michael Slager: South Carolina; Police shooting; (video case); Bulletin: 'Witnesses testify regarding alleged Taser marks on Michael Slager’s uniform..."Expert cannot rule out Taser burns.'...""In hopes of proving that Slager was in fear for his life when he opened fire on Scott, lead defense attorney Andy Savage began a line of questioning Monday aimed at showing that the former officer was in clear and present danger just seconds prior to the shooting. SLED forensics examiner Megan Fletcher was called to the stand to testify regarding the findings of gunshot residue on both Scott and Slager, in addition to possible evidence of Taser damage on Slager’s uniform. Following the shooting, swabs were performed on Scott and Slager’s hands to collect any residue that may be left behind from a firearm. During questioning by the defense, Fletcher testified that gunshot residue (GSR) was found on the hands of both men. Taken just hours after Scott’s death, SLED investigators discovered that gunshot residue was present on the front and back of his right hand, but was absent from his left palm. Fletcher confirmed that residue could have been transferred from one person to another in a number of ways, such as when Slager handcuffed Scott following the shooting."..."..Following Fletcher, the defense called Dr. Mark Kroll to the stand to offer his expertise on the effects of electricity. Although Fletcher would not definitively state that the marks found on Slager’s shirt were caused by a Taser, Kroll claimed a Taser was the only possible cause. “There’s really no alternative source for that heat damage. We both agree it’s not a clothes iron that’s going to do that,” said Kroll." Reporter Dustin Waters; Charleston City Paper; November 21. 2016;

---------------------------------------------------------------
REMINDER: "Rodricus Crawford: Louisiana;  Bulletin: Domonique Benn's exclusive News 12 investigation 'Fighting for a Father's Freedom'  will be streamed  this evening,  Monday (November 21)  at 10.00 pm local time, on ksla.com;

 ---------------------------------------------------------------
PUBLISHER'S NOTE: As reporter Alex Johnson notes: "A video made by a bystander showing Slager shooting Scott in the back in April 2015 stunned the nation and led to murder charges for the former North Charleston police officer, who could be sentenced to 30 years to life in prison if he's convicted."..."This Blog is digging into the  momentous on-going trial from time to time, when issues relating to the forensic evidence emerge from the fray.

Harold Levy: Publisher: The Charles Smith Blog;
-----------------------------------------------------------------

 “In a catalogue of different cases that we’ve done in our laboratory where we have analyzed victim GSR kits, we’ve found that in over 75 percent of the cases the victim was positive for gunshot residue in at least one area,” said Fletcher. In addition to evaluating both men for gunshot residue, Fletcher also examined Slager’s uniform to determine if the microscopic damage found on the fabric was consistent with a stun from a Taser. Firing a Taser directly into shirts identical to the one Slager was wearing during his struggle with Scott, Fletcher studied the marks left behind by the weapon. In a report issued less than two weeks before the trial commenced, Fletcher informed attorneys that she could not rule out Taser fire as the cause of melted fibers observed under a microscope. “These fibers have undergone some sort of high temperature greater than the melting point of polyester,” said Fletcher. “As I said before, that is greater than 480 degree Fahrenheit.” While the expert examiner could not rule out that the damage was caused by a Taser, Fletcher was unwilling to state that the melting was not caused by another heat source, even though she was unable to guess what that may be.........Following Fletcher, the defense called Dr. Mark Kroll to the stand to offer his expertise on the effects of electricity. Although Fletcher would not definitively state that the marks found on Slager’s shirt were caused by a Taser, Kroll claimed a Taser was the only possible cause. “There’s really no alternative source for that heat damage. We both agree it’s not a clothes iron that’s going to do that,” said Kroll."

http://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/TheBattery/archives/2016/11/21/witnesses-testify-regarding-alleged-taser-marks-on-michael-slagers-uniform