Video Released: White Police Officer Kills Black Man After Routine Traffic Stop

A white police officer was arrested and charged with murder yesterday in North Charleston, South Carolina, USA, after repeatedly shooting an unarmed black man who tried to flee, amid very high racial tensions in the country, reports the Patria News Agency.

Officer Michael Slager shot the man running away eight times in the back after stopping his car for a routine traffic check, as seen in footage sent to the New York Times by an eyewitness.

The footage then shows the officer calmly approaching the driver, Walter Scott, in his fifties, ordering him to put his hands behind his back and handcuffing him. The man succumbed to his injuries shortly thereafter.

The incident occurred on Saturday after a traffic stop, when the officer noticed that one of the car's lights was not working.

Before the shooting, the officer and the driver argued, the local newspaper Post and Courier writes.

The officer, who faces the death penalty or 30 years in prison, was arrested and transferred to the Charleston jail.

When asked by AFP, South Carolina police declined to comment on the case as the investigation is ongoing.

The incident occurs amidst high racial tensions in the USA, which this case could further exacerbate. The USA has recently been shaken by numerous cases where white police officers have killed or mistreated members of the African American community.

The US Department of Justice recently opened an office dedicated to improving relations between the police and the black population.