South Carolina Officer Is Charged With Murder After Shooting Unarmed Man [VIDEO]

A police officer in South Carolina has been arrested and charged with murder after shooting an unarmed man.

Tuesday, a video surfaced of Officer Michael T. Slager, 33, from North Charleston, S.C., shooting an unarmed man in the back.  The whole situation is being looked at closely for two reasons: 1.) the officer was white and the man was black and 2.) because he was unarmed.

On Saturday, 50 year old Walter L. Scott was pulled over for a broken taillight.  Things quickly escalated.  According to police reports, the shooting took place after Officer Slager stopped the driver of a Mercedes-Benz with a broken taillight.  Mr. Scott then ran away, and Officer Slager chased him into a grassy lot near a muffler shop. He fired his taser, but  Mr. Scott did not stop.  The report then says that the officer told authorities that Scott took his taser and he felt like his life was in danger.

A bystander had apparently taken some video of the incident.  The video starts in the vacant lot, apparently moments after Officer Slager fired his Taser. Wires from the stun gun, seem to be coming from Mr. Scott’s body as the are in the altercation and Mr. Scott turns to run.

In the video, it shows something (may be the taser) knocked or tossed to the ground.  Then the video shows the officer pulling his gun and firing 8 shots.  That is when Mr. Scott goes down.  Officer Slager then turns and goes back to pick something up.  He then drops it next to Mr. Scotts body.

The mayor, Keith Summey, issued a statement: “When you’re wrong, you’re wrong and if you make a bad decision, don’t care if you’re behind the shield or just a citizen on the street, you have to live by that decision.”

Scotts family is devastated and think that the officer took the incident way to far, but they are glad that he was arrested and the incident is being investigated.

Officer Slager was arrested and charged with murder.  No bail was granted.

This is the unedited video that was leaked.  *Warning*  It is very graphic so watch at your own discretion.

Here is the original unedited video.

Do you think all police departments should be required to use body camera?  If Amarillo Police had to wear body cameras, do you think it would make a difference locally?