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The police shooting death of Walter Scott in South Carolina added to a long list of such occurrences in the past year.  The officer who shot a fleeing Scott in the back last April was charged with murder earlier today (Jun. 8), bringing swift justice in a case that still has the potential to be explosive.

Michael Slager was fired from by the North Charleston Police Department shortly after the video of the incident was made public and began to go viral. According to a report from The Guardian, Slager potentially faces 30 years to life in prison if he is convicted.

From the Guardian:

Michael Slager was indicted by a grand jury in Charleston County for the murder of Walter Scott on 4 April, Scarlett Wilson, the solicitor for the ninth judicial circuit, announced at a press conference.

“We will move forward now in preparing our case,” said Wilson. “Really the prosecution work has just begun.”

The brief indictment alleged that Slager killed Scott “with malice aforethought”. It was both considered and returned by the grand jury on Monday morning.

If convicted, Slager could face a sentence of between 30 years and life in prison without the possibility of parole, according to Wilson.

As relayed to the press by an attorney, the Scott family was pleased with the decision but is still mourning the loss. There also might be forthcoming charges for other officers who may have known about Scott’s tampering with the scene and Scott’s contradictory statements during the investigation.

Photo: YouTube