WATCH ABOVE: In an interview with NBC the witness who filmed the video of Walter Scott getting shot by a police officer is speaking out about what he saw
TORONTO – The unidentified bystander who recorded cellphone video of a white police officer shooting an unarmed black man in South Carolina has come forward to explain why he began recording.
Feidin Santana told NBC Nightly News Wednesday he pulled out his cellphone and began filming when he heard the sound of a Taser being deployed. Santana said he was walking to work when he noticed officer Michael Slager controlling Walter Scott on the ground.
READ MORE: How the video of Walter Scott’s death differs from initial reports
“As you can see in the video, the police officer just shot him in the back,” Santana said. “I knew right away, I had something on my hands.”
Officer Michael Slager, 33, was arrested and charged with murder Tuesday for the fatal shooting of Walter Scott, 50, in North Charleston Saturday. The video appears to show Slager firing eight times at the back of the unarmed man before he falls to the ground.
VIDEO GALLERY:
Slager has claimed Scott took his Taser during a traffic stop and that he feared for his life. The video shows an object being thrown to the ground and Scott running away before the fatal shots are fired.
Santana said he “knew right away, I had something on my hands” and turned the video over to Scott’s family. He has been cooperating with investigators.
The family’s lawyer, L. Chris Stewart, called Santana a “hero” and questioned during a press conference Tuesday what the outcome of the shooting would have been without the video.
Earlier Wednesday, North Charleston Police Chief Eddie Driggers said when he was “sickened” after he watched the video of the encounter. Mayor Keith Summey also announced that Slager was fired from the police force and ordered body cameras for all officers.
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