SC Cop Charged With Murder After Shooting Unarmed Man

A police officer in North Charleston, South Carolina, is being charged with murder after a bystander's video appears to show him firing at a fleeing suspect eight times or more, reports the Post and Courier. (That story includes the video, which is graphic.) The video appears to contradict officer Michael Slager's version of events in the incident on Saturday that left 50-year-old Walter Scott dead. Initially, Slager's attorney released a statement saying that Scott grabbed control of the officer's Taser during a struggle and that Slager fired because he feared for his life. The attorney says he is no longer representing the officer.

“When you’re wrong, you’re wrong,” North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey said today in announcing the murder charges. “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.” The shooting took place after Slager stopped Scott about 9:30am for a broken tail light, reports WICV. Scott was wanted on a Family Court warrant, but the specifics of those charges aren't clear. He had been arrested previously on contempt charges for failing to pay child support. The 33-year-old officer is white, and Scott is black. (More police shooting stories.)