TORONTO –The South Carolina police officer who shot and killed Walter Scott has been fired as he faces murder charges in the weekend shooting.
Police Chief Eddie Diggers said he was “sickened” by what he saw during an afternoon press conference that was interrupted several times by community members who shouted “no justice, no peace!” as the chief struggled to answer questions about the shooting.
The mayor was forced to take the podium after Diggers was shouted down, threatening to shut down the press conference.
Charleston Mayor Keith Summey announced during that press conference that Slager was fired but said the county would continue paying his health insurance because his wife is eight months pregnant.
Summey also announced he had ordered body cameras to be worn by every single officer on the force in North Charleston.
Summey also faced questions about the disparity between the mostly white police force, and the mostly African American community. He said the community does try to recruit African-American members but has trouble finding certified people.
“Let me say that we recruit African American members to the police department,” he said. “Anyone that can become certified as a police officer, we’re more than willing to hire.”
READ MORE: How the Walter Scott shooting video differs from initial reports
Protests began within hours of the video being released and charges being announced on Tuesday as roughly 75 people gathered outside of the city hall in North Charleston led by Black Lives Matter, a group formed after the shooting death of Michael Brown.
“Eight shots in the back!” local organizer Muhiydin D’Baha yelled, as the crowd yelled “In the back!” in response.
The video, recorded by an unidentified person, shows Scott shot in the back multiple times as he runs away from Slager.
The FBI and state investigators are now looking at the video as part of their investigation.
WATCH: Cell phone video has surfaced showing a white police officer shooting an unarmed black man in the back as he ran away (WARNING: Viewer discretion advised)
Initial reports indicated Slager and Scott fought over the officer’s Taser – an altercation that’s not seen in the video. The mayor couldn’t answer whether the fight actually occurred saying he hadn’t “seen all of the video.”
But Aylor did say at a Tuesday press conference that “when you’re wrong, you’re wrong.”
“If you make a bad decision, I don’t care if you’re behind the shield or just a citizen on the street, you have to live by that decision.”
Slager’s then-lawyer David Aylor released a statement on Monday prior to charges being laid, saying the officer felt threatened and fired his weapon because Scott tried to grab his Taser. Aylor dropped Slager as a client, however, after the video surfaced and Slager appeared by himself at his first court appearance on Tuesday. He could face 30 years in prison if convicted of murder.
Scott had four children, was engaged and had been honourably discharged by the U.S. Coast Guard. There were no violent offences on his record.
Judy Scott, Walter’s mother, said the video was “the most horrible thing I’ve ever seen” during an interview on ABC.
“I almost couldn’t look at it to see my son running defencelessly, being shot. It just tore my heart to pieces,” she said.
*With files from Andrew Russell, the Associated Press
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