S Carolina Police Officer 'Investigated Before'

A South Carolina police officer charged with murder after shooting an unarmed man in the back had a prior complaint made against him about using force.

The police are re-investigating Michael Slager's use of a stun gun on Mario Givens in 2013.

Mr Slager was charged with the murder of Walter Scott, 50, after a video of Saturday's fatal shooting emerged.

The man who shot the video says he saw the two men having a scuffle on the ground before Mr Scott ran away.

Mr Slager was fired by the North Charleston police department following the murder charge.

He has been held without bail and faces up to life in prison if convicted of murder.

The video, shot by bystander Feidin Santana, shows the police officer firing multiple times as Scott runs away.

Mr Slager claimed Scott, a father of four and former Coast Guard guard, had taken his stun gun and he had shot in fear of his life.

But Mr Santana told NBC News he didn't see Scott take the stun gun and he turned over the footage after reading the police report's description of the killing.

"It wasn't like that, the way they were saying."

He added that before he starting recording, Scott and the officer were on the ground and Scott was trying to get away.

A stun gun was also at issue in the 2013 complaint Mario Givens filed against the police officer.

Mr Givens said Mr Slager had pushed into his home after coming to his door.

"Come outside or I'll 'Tase' you,'" he quoted the officer as saying, adding he then raised his arms over his head but was then stunned in the stomach.

Mr Slager was investigating a complaint against Mr Givens' brother and apparently mistook Mr Givens for his sibling.

Charges were dropped and Mr Slager was exonerated by a police investigation into the incident.

North Charleston police spokesman Spencer Pryor said the department plans to review the case to see whether its decision was correct.

Judy Scott, the mother of Walter Scott, told CNN she felt "forgiveness in my heart, even for the guy who shot and killed my son".

After video of Scott's death emerged, protesters chanted "no justice, no peace" outside the city hall on Wednesday, and they later held a candlelight vigil in honour of Scott.

They are the latest protests about police lethal force, which began after the killing of Michael Brown, a teenager in Ferguson by a police officer who was not charged for his death.

Culled From BBC