The Charleston police officer who shot and killed a black man on Saturday because he said he feared for his life, has now been charged with murder, according to the New York Times.

Officer Michael T. Slager reportedly pulled over a vehicle in a routine traffic stop when the

a video that was delivered to the New York Times, showed a completely different account of what happened

driver, Walter L. Scott, 50, fled the scene.  The officer said he shot the man with his stun gun, but when it failed to stop him. The officer then said Scott came back after him and either attempted to or actually took the stun gun from him.  However, a video that was delivered to the New York Times, showed a completely different account of what happened.

The video, shot by a bystander, starts with the suspect near the officer after he was allegedly shot by the stun gun.  Wires that seem to be associated with the stun gun are visibly connected to him.  The man then begins to run away from the officer at which time he opened fire on the man, shooting him what appeared to be 8 times in the back when he was several feet away.  The officer did not stop shooting until Scott fell to the ground.  Following the shooting, the officer handcuffed the man and later dropped something that was presumably the stun gun near his body.

Watch the video here (warning this video contains graphic images and language):

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The Mayor of North Charleston announced the charges against the police officer at a press conference on Tuesday evening.

Read the complete story in the New York Times here.

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