Slater, also known as "Rusty Slater", was a rival of NYPD Detective John Tanner from when Tanner was still a racecar driver. The two rivals world later be reunited in San Francisco during their time serving as part of Castaldi's gang.
Driver[]
Slater and Tanner were originally rivals as racecar drivers until Tanner himself had an accident, which had him quit his racing career and eventually join the police force in New York City. When Tanner started working with Castaldi's gang in San Francisco upon following Jean-Paul to San Francisco, he reunited with Slater, who turned out to be one of the drivers already working with the gang. At their first meeting in years, Tanner punched Slater in the face for mocking him, as Slater said that Tanner "used to be a driver, 'till he had a little accident", adding that Tanner "ain't no competition". Slater pulled out a gun to shoot Tanner, but due to Jean-Paul's intervention, Slater didn't shoot. Castaldi told Slater to put his gun away, as the punch in the face Tanner gave him was what happens when he "runs off with a mouth".
Tanner later learns from the informant Mojo that Slater hated him and wanted him dead. Depending on the player's actions, one of the events that may occur is one in which Slater set Tanner up by having him go to a storage area only to be forced to evade cops. By this point, the rivalry between Tanner and Slater became so bitter that Tanner became suspicious of Slater spying on him, therefore smashing his car in a chase. As a result, Slater was arrested by the police and locked up in prison in San Francisco.