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| US police officer to face murder trial over shooting | US police officer to face murder trial over shooting |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A white police officer in South Carolina is to go on trial for the murder of an unarmed black man after shooting him in the back as he ran. | A white police officer in South Carolina is to go on trial for the murder of an unarmed black man after shooting him in the back as he ran. |
| Video showed Michael Slager shooting Walter Scott, 50, as he fled from a traffic stop in North Charleston. | Video showed Michael Slager shooting Walter Scott, 50, as he fled from a traffic stop in North Charleston. |
| A grand jury returned a murder indictment on Monday morning, clearing the way for a formal trial. | A grand jury returned a murder indictment on Monday morning, clearing the way for a formal trial. |
| Officer Slager now faces up to 30 years in prison. He has been held in jail since charges were announced in April. | Officer Slager now faces up to 30 years in prison. He has been held in jail since charges were announced in April. |
| The 33-year-old has said that he feared for his safety because Mr Scott had tried to grab his stun gun. | |
| Video of the 4 April encounter was recorded by a bystander on his mobile phone, leading to charges of murder against Officer Slager. | Video of the 4 April encounter was recorded by a bystander on his mobile phone, leading to charges of murder against Officer Slager. |
| Scott's brother, Rodney, spoke at a press conference on Monday to say the family is "very happy and pleased" with the indictment, but that it is only the first step. | |
| In addition to the criminal trial, a civil lawsuit will be filed by Scott's family in the next few months. | In addition to the criminal trial, a civil lawsuit will be filed by Scott's family in the next few months. |
| Scarlett Wilson, solicitor for the North Charleston court, warned that despite the video evidence, the murder charge must still be proved in court. | |
| "Just because you have video in this case, it doesn't mean it's the be-all and end-all," said Mrs Wilson at a press conference to announce the indictment. | |
| "The issue is the people who were there who were involved, who saw or heard anything, who can demonstrate what they saw and heard." | |
| The trial date has not yet been set. | The trial date has not yet been set. |