Video renews race debate in US

The fatal shooting of a black man running from a white police officer inflamed the nation's debate over police use of force Wednesday, and the mayor and police chief of South Carolina's third-largest city said they were “sickened” by what a bystander's video revealed.

The officer, who has been charged with murder, was fired. But that did little to quell the outrage of an angry crowd at North Charleston's City Hall, and the officials were shouted down by protesters calling for justice.

The officer reported that he fired in self-defense after the suspect he pulled over Saturday for a broken brake light grabbed his stun gun. Police shared his version with the public and promised a full investigation.

But the officer's story quickly unravelled after a nervous bystander's shaky video was shared with the dead man's family and then the world.

It shows Patrolman Michael Thomas Slager firing repeatedly at Walter Lamer Scott as the unarmed 50-year-old tries to flee. The video begins with what appears to be a brief physical altercation over the officer's Taser, which falls to the ground shortly before the officer pulls out his Glock pistol and fires eight times. Scott then crumples to the ground about 30 feet away. Not once in the moments before or during the shooting can the officer be heard yelling “stop” or telling the man to surrender.

Scott's family appealed to keep protests peaceful, saying the murder charge shows the system is working in this case so far.

The shooting in North Charleston came amid an ongoing nationwide debate over issues of trust between law enforcement and minority communities. The incident came after grand juries declined to indict police in the killings of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and Eric Garner on Staten Island, New York.