Walter Scott Passenger Speaks Out: 'I'll Never Know Why He Ran'

— -- The man who was a passenger in the car that Walter Scott was driving before he was shot by a South Carolina police officer says he'll never understand why his friend ran.

"Walter was a dear friend and I miss him every day," said Pierre Fulton, in a statement through his lawyer issued tonight. "Over the past five years he helped me to become a better man and showed me the value of hard work."

But Fulton said, "I'll never know why he ran, but I know he didn't deserve to die. Please keep Walter and his family in your prayers and respect my privacy moving forward."

Then-Officer Michael Slager shot at Scott eight times after he ran from the vehicle April 4 during a routine traffic stop.

Slager has not yet had to enter a plea to the murder charge against him and his attorney has declined to publicly comment on the case, except to say that they are conducting their own investigation into the incident.