South Carolina Police Officer Charged With Murder Has Local Ties

By Jan Carabeo

MEDFORD TWP., N.J. (CBS) - Law enforcement officials released dash cam video Thursday of the moments before a white police officer fatally shot a black man after a weekend traffic stop in South Carolina. Witness video allegedly shows officer Michael Slager shooting 50-year-old Walter Scott, who was running away at the time.

Slager, who is facing murder charges, has deep roots in South Jersey.

The officer grew up in Burlington County. He attended Lenape High School in the late 90's and graduated in 2001. Now, he is behind bars, accused of shooting and killing an unarmed man.

Neighbors who knew Slager growing up tell CBS 3 Eyewitness News they remember him as a nice, young man years ago. Today, he is making headlines after he was charged with killing Scott. Police say he fired eight shots at Scott Saturday in North Charleston.

Neighbors say Slager was a friendly kid who lived in the area before joining the coastguard and then eventually the North Charleston Police Department.

"We moved here when he was about 12 I guess," says one neighbor who asked to not be identified. "He left about five years later, he went in the coastguard, but he was a nice kid the whole time he lived here."

One neighbor says the Slager family actually moved out of Mount Laurel a couple of years ago.

As CBS 3's Cleve Bryan reports, news of officer Slager's connection to their school has sent shock waves through Lenape High School alumni circles.

"It's crazy that it's that far away and yet it's so close to home that this happened," says Christi Pilesky (formerly Bocelli) who graduated with Slager in 2001.

She was shocked when she saw the video of officer Slager shooting an unarmed man in the back because she remembered him as quiet and helpful.

"If I was weak in a subject he was right there to help me. Never would have thought that he would ever have any violence towards anyone," says Pilesky.

She says accusations of aggression and racism don't fit the Michael Slager she remembered nor their high school environment.

"I don't really think his upbringing was racist. Lenape was a really good school, everybody got along. There was no 'you're this color you do this, or you're this color you can't join in'," says Pilesky.

Former neighbor to Slager where he grew up in Mount Laurel, Ed Thomas says the officer came from a good family.

"It's like you know somebody and can't believe that it happened. It really is a shame," says Thomas.

If convicted, Officer Slager faces 30 years to life in prison, or the death penalty.

CBS 3 Eyewitness News reporter Cleve Bryan contributed to this report.