Prosecutors in 2 states face uphill police murder retrials

CINCINNATI — Facing uphill battles to find jurors willing to convict police officers, prosecutors in two states say they will try again to win guilty verdicts against white officers in the fatal shootings of black men.

Legal experts say the mistrials underscore the difficulties prosecutors face in police cases, with many jurors unwilling to second-guess officers’ split-second reactions when they claim to be in danger.

A bystander’s cell phone video showed Slager shooting Scott five times in the back, video that was widely seen and further inflamed national debate about how police treat blacks.

“Even in the most egregious cases, it takes an awful lot to get a jury to convict a police officer,” said Philip Stinson, a Bowling Green (Ohio) State University criminologist who tracks police shooting cases around the country.