[infidel66687]

A South Carolina police officer was arrested and charged with murder Tuesday in the weekend shooting death of a motorist after a traffic stop.

City Patrolman Michael Thomas Slager, who is white, was taken into custody after law enforcement officials saw a video of him shooting 50-year-old Walter Scott, who is black, in the back as he ran away.

A white South Carolina police officer was charged with murder Tuesday, hours after law enforcement officials viewed a dramatic video that appears to show him shooting a fleeing black man several times in the back.

North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey announced the charges at a hastily called news conference in which he said City Patrolman Michael Thomas Slager made "a bad decision."

The shooting, which began as a traffic stop over a faulty brake light, occurred as Americans grapple with issues of trust between law enforcement and minority communities after a series of deaths of unarmed black men at the hands of police.

They include the deaths of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and Eric Garner on Staten Island, New York. Both sparked protests nationwide.

In the Charleston case, authorities said the victim, 50-year-old Walter Lamer Scott, was shot after the officer already hit him with a stun gun.

"When you're wrong, you're wrong," Summey said. "When you make a bad decision, don't care if you're behind the shield or a citizen on the street, you have to live with that decision."

A video of the shooting released to news media outlets shows the officer firing eight shots at Scott's back as Scott is running away. Scott falls on the eighth shot, fired after a brief pause. The video then shows the officer slowly walking toward him, and ordering him to put his hands behind his back.

When Scott doesn't move, Slager pulls his arms back and cuffs his hands. Then he walks briskly back to where he fired the shots, picks up an object, and returns the 30 feet or so back to Scott before dropping the object by Scott's feet.

Attorney L. Chris Stewart, who came to North Charleston a day after the shooting to represent the family, said the video forced authorities to act quickly and decisively, and he called the person who made the video a hero.

"What happened today doesn't happen all the time," Stewart told a news conference. What if there was no video?" Scott's mother stood nearby, saying, "Thank you, Lord" and "Hallelujah."

Scott may have tried to run from the officer because he owed child support, which can get someone sent to jail in South Carolina until they pay it back, Stewart said.

He had four children, was engaged and had been honorably discharged from the U.S. Coast Guard. There were no violent offenses on his record, the attorney said. Stewart said the family plans to sue the police department.

Justice Department spokeswoman Dena Iverson said the Federal Bureau of Investigation will also investigate the shooting.

At the earlier news conference with the mayor, North Charleston Police Chief Eddie Driggers appeared close to tears.

"I have been around this police department a long time and all the officers on this force, the men and women, are like my children," he told reporters. "So you tell me how a father would react seeing his child do something? I'll let you answer that yourself."

Slager was denied bond at a brief first appearance hearing Tuesday. He was not accompanied by a lawyer. If convicted, he could face 30 years to life in prison. Slager also served in the United States Coast Guard and had been with North Charleston police for five years.

Second video, hq version.

Third video.

Video footage showing Walter Scott fleeing a traffic stop minutes before he was shot dead by police officer Michael Slager has been released by authorities in South Carolina.

[array_algo]

The person recording didn't start shouting like many would have.

[Trunkzdbz]

I heard the cop is being charged with murder, hope that's true.

[katarina77]

Not smart try to take a police mans taser gun...............

[Ayyash]

Who ever was recording needs to learn how to fucking record a video...

[Ksiegmund]

Funny how all of the people on DR who champion law enforcement as "perfect little angels" are completely silent on this post......
You guys know who you are ^_^;;

[nyazzip]

Originally Posted by Ksiegmund ↗

Funny how all of the people on DR who champion law enforcement as "perfect little angels" are completely silent on this post......
You guys know who you are ^_^;;

this is about the FIRST, maybe second clear cut case of unwarranted deadly force ive seen....and even in this one, the guy had been struggling with the cop. he didn't have to, but he did. i'd never dare try to struggle with a cop, or take things off his belt, but this guy did.
but yeah, this one is murder.

[infidel66687]

Originally Posted by Trunkzdbz ↗

I heard the cop is being charged with murder, hope that's true.

Yes he is charged, it's all over the news.

[40043mo]

That is one stupid and likely racist cop, and that video is probably going to send him to jail.

[fun2bhad619]

WOW! That's pretty clear that the police officer had absolutely no right to use deadly force and deserves to be charged with murder.