the prosecution literally handing michael slager a tape measure and asking him to hold it. the prosecutor then walking 18 feet away. that represents the 18 feet between michael slager and walter scott when slager first opened fire. the prosecutor holding the tape measure with his back turned to him, turning and and asking him how could a person this far away, running away from you have been a threat to your life? slager stuck to his guns, saying that he responded according to his training and he opened fire as quickly as he could on someone that he felt had threatened his life, don. >> and, boris, you know, this interesting moment in the courtroom we hear that slager apparently broke down over his family situation. what more can you tell us? >> reporter: right. that was during the defense portion of the questioning, when they were asking him about his upbringing, where he went to high school, what got him into service, into being a police officer. and then they asked him specifically about his family life and his child, his wife was actually pregnant when the encounter with

. >>> former police officer michael slager took the stand in his own defense in south carolina. slager is charged in the footing death of walter scott. slager told the jury that scott called his stun gun and that he feared for his life. he said he fired until it was over. cell phone video shows scott running away from slager when he was shot. closing arguments are expected today. >>> betsy shelby will face trial in the shooting death of terence crutch crutcher. shelby is accused of shooting and killing crutch here was unarmed during a traffic stop in september. >>> it is decision day for democrats in the house of representatives. members are set to vote on their incoming leadership for the new congress. ohio congressman tim ryan is challenging longtime democratic leader nancy pelosi. representative ryan said it's time for new blood and fresh ideas. pelosi, though, is expected to retain her position as leader. >>> martin scorsese is expected to meet with pope francis for an audience of 400 priests in rome. it's a longtime goal of scorsese. "silence" will open in december. >> fina

. >>> closing arguments expected today in the former south carolina police officer michael slager. he is charged with murder of walter scott who was running away unarmed. slager testified in his own defense and boris has been following this. what have you learned, boris? >> some very emotional and uncomfortable moments in court as michael slager took the stand in his own defense. the prosecution grilling him and showing that infamous video with walter scott. the prosecution going frame by frame second by second in excruciating detail asking michael slager about where he was looking at certain points in the video and how he was moving his feet and shifting his weight and then repeatedly asking him how walter scott could have been a threat to his life if he was so far away, trying to run away. here's a bit of that exchange between slager and the prosecution. >> you've seen the video. >> i have. >> and you heard that he was 18 feet away. would you agree that he was not a threat to you with that taser without a cartridge from that distance? >> no. >> okay. so you're going to stick to t

the video -- showing officer michael slager -- shooting walter scott -- was played in story on the witness stand. abc's -- marci gonzalez -- has more. for the first time - jurors seeing this now infamous video police say shows former north charleston police officer michael slager - shooting and killing walter scott? (nat shots) the man who recorded those 8 gunshots... (nats - last shot) taking the stand friday- (sot - santana - 10;13;42;34) he shoot the man running from him. feidin santana, describing that april day this year- coming across officer slager running after scott- an unarmed man broken tail-light.. describing hearing a taser --just before he hit record - (sot - santana) i didn't know what was happening. just the electric sound there at the beginning caught my attention." slager - who was fired soon after the video murder---maintains he shot scott because while they were on the ground- scott grabbed his taser and pointed it at him. something santana says he didn't see. (sot - prosecutor - 115443) did you see walter scott coming at officer slager? (sot - santana the defense- gril

cellphone video shows 34-year-old michael slager shooting walter scott eight times after he fled a traffic stop in south carolina. slager is facing 30 this morning.. the country music association is being accused of giving into racism. fans say the c-m-a awards' social media account ?intentionally? deleted posts about beyonce's award show performance - after receiving racist comments. u-s-a today reports that once word got out - the c-m-a started to include photos of the performance in new posts. the association has also released a has also released a statement saying they never erased any mentions never erased any mentions of beyonce's performance. revealing the details of her alleged sexual harassment by her former boss - roger ailes. in kelly's upcoming book "settle for more" - she says ailes offered to advance her career in exchange for sexual favors.. and allegedly implied he would not renew her contract when she refused his advances. kelly also writes about one instance when ailes attempted to grab and kiss her multiple times. the book is scheduled for release on november 15-th. harv

on tuesday former south carolina police officer michael slager took the stand in his own defense. he's accused of gunning down walter scott, the unarmed african-american man in april of last year. nbc's gabe gutierrez has details. >> reporter: this bystander's dramatic cell phone video last year appeared to showalter scott being shot in the back multiple times. >> i was scared. >> reporter: in a charleston, south carolina, courtroom the former officer accused of scott's murder gave his first detailed public account of what happened. >> i fired until the threat was stopped, like i'm trained to do. >> reporter: michael slager said he pulled scott over for a broken taillight in april of 2015 and was preparing to write him a warning but scott bolted from his car. >> in my mind at that time, people don't run from a broken taillight. >> reporter: prosecutors say scott fled because he was behind on child support payments and feared being arrested. slager told the jury he fired his taser three times but that didn't stop scott from grabbing the stun gun. >> it was total fear that mr. scott

slager" shooting "walter scott" as he ran from a traffic stop. the jury will have to decide if the shooting is murder. if convicted, slager faces 30 years to life in prison. new this morning: the nations sixth largest transit system... slams on the brakes. just after midnight, more than five thousand transportation workers in philadelphia went on strike. it comes after is expected to affect subways, public buses, and trolley service. the transit system carries about 400 ?thousand passengers a day... including more than sixty thousand ?kids that use the service to get to school. some schools will try to provide extra buses... if parents can't drive them. rescue crews continue to search for trapped miners... after a deadly coal mine explosion in southwest china. it happened yesterday afternoon. at least 13 people have died... and 20 others are still trapped miners... but debris is blocking passageways. local officials have temporarily shutdown coal mines... the area produces nearly 90-thousand tons each year. china's mining industry has long been a

slager, took the stand in his own defense. he is charged with murdering walter scott, a man he had just pulled over for a broken tail >> reporter: michael slager's voice cracked at times as he described the events that led up to the death of walter scott 19 months ago. >> reporter: a day that gab with this routine traffic stop. >> your license and insurance card. >> reporter: and ended after a gunfire. it was captured on cell phone video by someone passing by. >> i was tired. >> reporter: slager's argument is self-defense. >> i was on the fight, on the ground. mr. scott was coming after me with the taser twice. you know, my mind-- i don't-- my mind was like spaghetti. >> reporter: prosecutor bruce dur ant. >> from watching the video, sir, do you concede at the time you shot mr. scott he did not have your taser? >> yes, after learning lingering questions is what slager may have picked up and dropped near scott's body. >> i don't remember dropping the taser. i don't remember anything. >> well, you have a pretty clear recollectio

jericka duncan is there. >> reporter: michael slager's voice cracked at times as he months ago. >> i did. >> reporter: a day that began with this routine traffic stop. >> your license and insurance card. >> reporter: and ended after a chase and scuffle and a burst of gunfire. video by someone passing by. >> i was tired. >> reporter: slager's argument is self-defense. >> i was on the fight, on the ground. mr. scott was coming after me with the taser twice. you know, my mind-- i don't-- my mind was like spaghetti. >> reporter: prosecutor bruce durant. >> from watching the video, sir, do you concede at the time you shot mr. scott he did not have your taser? >> yes, after learning information now, i do. >> reporter: one of the dropped near scott's body. >> i don't remember dropping the taser. i don't remember anything. >> we need justice for walter. >> reporter: scott's brother, anthony, says the video leaves no doubt. >> to me, it's a man being shot in the back by a coward police officer. >> reporter: slager used his r now, the scott family was in tho courtroom as slager testified. the

prosecutor scarlett wilson: >> what michael slager did to walter scott was wrong. it was flat-out wrong. >> reporter: it was an everyday traffic stop last april. >> your license and insurance card. >> reporter: slager pulled taillight. scott suddenly ran. slager chased him. moments later, in this cell phone video recorded by a passerby, the white officer shot the fleeing black suspect five times in the back. one bullet entered scott's heart. >> the charge in this case is murder. >> reporter: slairg's jury, 11 of them white, one black, will hear his claim of self-defense. the 34-year-old former officer says he and scott fought over the cop's stun gun began. defense attorney andy savage: >> he physically and forcefully resisted, to the can extent that they were both fighting on the ground. >> walter is gone, but now we need justice for walter. >> reporter: anthony scott, walter's older brother, told us the video proves slager killed in cold blood what goes through your head and heart when you in the back by a coward police officer. >> reporter: the court also heard f

the prosecution actually handing michael slager a tape measure, the prosecutor walking 18 feet away, the distance between slager and scott when slager opened fire. the prosecutor holding the tape behind him, turning around and again asking michael slager how walter scott was a threat to his life from that position. and his defense later said that his brain was spaghetti. before the video started rolling they had had a scuffle and walter scott apparently got a hold of his taser and was threatening him with it. he said he simply reacted according to his training and opened fire. we're expecting closing arguments later today and potentially jury deliberations later in the afternoon. >> boris helpful insight and information. we'll check back with you. thank you very much. >>> the raging wild fires in tennessee have turned deadly. and, there are several families that are still looking for missing loved ones in many of these areas closed off because the fire is just raging thousands of acres, more than 15,000 scorched. cnn meteorologist jennifer gray live in gatlinburg with the latest. thi

in south carolina, officer michael slager taking the stand in his own defense, charged in the shooting death of driver walter scott, after a routine traffic stop. here's abc's steve osunsami. >> i made the decision to use lethal force, because mr. scott never stopped. >> reporter: this former police officer took a giant risk testifying. michael slager looked into the jury's eyes and told them that at this very moment, when he started firing at walter scott in the green shirt, he felt afraid for his life. >> i fired until the threat was stopped, like i'm trained to do. >> reporter: scott was unarmed, and is clearly seen in this cell phone video running away. prosecutors say it was murder, and made slager stand up and hold a tape ruler to show jurors how far scott ran. a whole 18 feet before slager started shooting. before the cell phone recording. >> and i saw that taser coming at me, coming at me like this. >> reporter: but he now admits that scott didn't run away holding it. people in the courtroom shook their heads as slager struggled to explain this -- why he picked up the taser fro

day 1 of the michael slager trial next. have you seen it? what you need to know about the misleading memes being shared on twitter and how to make sure your vote really counts. >>> plus, we haven't really mentioned it. but of course, we're aware the indians did not win the world series last night. but never fear. leon bibb is here to show us >>> today the jury heard from in cincinnati police officer at the center of an intense order trial with ray tensing charged with the death of an unarmed black man. today they watched the video of him being interviewed. he claims he was dragged killed but the prosecution's forensic video analyst broke down the own body cameras video of tensing and says there were no squealing tires and the car moved only a foot or so. it shut down the claim of tensing of being dragged down the road. yesterday the jury heard from five witnesses and one of them was just feet away from the shooting. the victim was driving a car license was suspended. next to take the stand will be the supports expert and criminal investigati

officer michael slager abuot the moment he opened fire on walter scott. this video of this incident made national headlines because you see scott-- in the green shirt... running away from officer slager. the cop says scott took his taser from him. sot: "and i saw that taser coming at me..coming at me like this." (butted with) "i fired until the threat was stopped, like i'm trained to do." scott was 18 feet away when prosecutors are calling it murder. if convicted, slager could get 30 years in prison. breaking right now... the national weather service has confirmed a tornado touched down near atlanta . this is a live look in the area right now... this is after severe weather ripped through the south overnight... right now there is also a ground stop in place at atlanta's hartsfield-jackson airport due to severe thunderstorms, a tornado watch a tornado watch also was issued for more than 50 counties in georgia 0-:3 there's the tornado right there...let's go let's go... overnight deadly tornadoes ripped through the south.... at least 23 tornadoes touched dow

prosecutor scarlet wilson. >> what michael slager did to walter scott was wrong. it was flag out wrong. >> reporter: it was an everyday traffic stop last april. >> your license and registration, sir. >> reporter: slager pulled over scott for a broken taillight. scott suddenly ran. slager chased him. phone video recorded by a passerby, the white officer shot the fleeing black suspect five times in the back. one bullet entered scott's heart. >> the charge in this case is murder. >> reporter: slager's jury, 11 of them white, one black, will hear his claim of self-defense. the 34-year-old former officer says he and scott fought over the cop's stun gun moments before this cell phone video began. >> he physically and forcefully resisted to the extent that they were both fighting on the ground. >> walter's gone. but now we need justice for walter. >> reporter: anthony scott, walter's older brother, told us the video proves slager killed in cold blood. >> what goes through your head and heart when you watch the video now? >> to me it's a man being shot in the back officer

former charleston police officer michael slager will be in court today -- as opening arguments begin in his trial. wednesday. he's accused of shooting and killing walter scott -- who was unarmed when slager pulled him over. cell phone video captured the shooting. but slager's attorneys say there's more than what's shown in the cell phone video. they want the judge to block the jury from seeing it. more clashes between protesters and police in north dakota -- at the site of the planned dakota access pipeline. the sheriff's department says protesters were trying to build a bridge across a river to get onto private property owned by the pipeline developer gear used pepper spray and tear gas as the protesters wading across the river. medics helped some of the protesters who were suffering from hypothermia or the effects of the pepper spray. some country music singers are waking up this morning with a new award to put on their shelf. last night was the 50th anniversary of the country music awards. brad paisley and carrie underwood get to win any awards but carrie did. she won female vocal

michael slager is charged with during a traffic stop. a bystander recorded the incident as slager fired 8 shots at scott as scott ran away, hitting him 5 times. in court today, prosecution witnesses described scott as a good friend and neighbor. $150,000 has been raised to help repair a black church in mississippi that was vandalized and torched yesterday. on the side of the building, somebody spray painted vote trump. the money quickly poured into a gofundme page set up for hopewell missionary baptist church. suspects. jc: a chaotic scene at a u.s. senate debate in new orleans protestors at dillard university getting hostile trying to force themselves past the door, upset that republican david duke, the former leader of the ku klux klan, was allowed to participate. at one point police began to pepper spray the crowd. dillard students had asked the school to reject duke's debate not put on by the school. ben: take a look at this. severe storms moving through the kansas city area yesterday dumping golf ball sized hail in some areas. this

michael slager is charged in the april 2015 shooting death of 50 year-old walter scott.slager shot scott eight times after he fled a traffic stop, the shooting captured by a bystander on dramatic cellphone video. slager faces between 30 years and life in prison if convicted of murder. power is still out at the paris las vegas hotel-casino. everything went black yesterday afternoon when a contractor working in the basement cut into the main power line.that cut also prevented the back-up generators from turning on. no word on when power will go back on. weather and traffic together... after some morning fog, the beautiful weather returned yesterday with sunshine, a light northerly ze near 60. the sky is clear this morning, but dense fog redeveloped in the inland areas with lows dropping to 43 along the lake, and upper 30s inland. the sunshine and mild weather continues today with highs near 60, and a light breeze. tonight is clear and chilly with lows near 40.the amazing stretch of fall weather lingers into the weekend with sunshine and morning lows in the lower 40s. you get an extra hour

officers for officer michael slager want the video kept out the jury selection was yesterday and continues this morning. >>> investigators are now trying to figure out if he suffered some sort of medical emergency. >> reporter: no children on board the bus with a bus that dli collided with another bus. the driver of the school bus died. >> going to pick up its first student a few blocks from here to take them on to the elementary. >> reporter: the impact sheared off the side of a bus and scatterering debris all over the road. >> this was a gruesome process of removing bodies. all six people were dead on the scene. >> reporter: investigators say the bus struck the rear of a mustang, then hit a concrete pillar, before veering into path of the mts bus. a retired d.c. police officer was inside the vehicle the bus first hit. >> i'm bruised and banged up. mentally, it will take a while to get myself together. >> reporter: investigators say it will take a lot of resources to figure out what exactly triggered the crash. >>> a hearing concerning bill cosby's sexual assault trial is expected to resu

video frame shows michael slager picking up object and dropping it by his body. defense contends the shooting occurred when scot wrestled away the stun gun and point today at him. hearing to see if dylann roof can stand trial. the psychologist examining rough will not fip ib report until today mary-jo white was appointed by president obama. white's term does not end until 20 19 and she's stepping down early. trump will name own sec chairman. >> if you plan to travel during the holidays you will have plenty of company. 48 million people will take to highways skies and sea. that's increase of one million thaters compared to last. 89% of people will drive this thanks giving and 3 million >> it's cool. temperatures mid 40s this morning. upper 40s in town. i think 52 annapolis that's not bad. we do have light showers. couple spovts drizzle, too, we'll trend drier. trending drier through the end of late morning into the early afternoon. and dry. sunshine poking through out there. temperatures in th here's area of low pressure. it's working up to the north and to northe