Man who filmed black man's fatal shooting by cop steps forward (NBC)
The eyewitness who filmed the moment an unarmed man was shot dead in the back by a police officer has come forward and broken his silence.
Feidin Santana claims that Walter Scott, a 59-year-old black man, was involved in a scuffle on the ground with police officer Michael Slager, and that he was not trying to fight the man but rather get away from his Taser.
"I remember the police [officer] had control of the situation," Mr Santana he told NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt. He had ontrol of Scott. And Scott was trying just to get away from the Taser. But like I said, he never used the Taser against the cop."
He said that he then watched in horror as the officer first shot Scott in the back and then appeared to stage the scene.
Having caught the entire thing on film, he knew he had to reach out to the family.
"I thought about his position, their situation ... If I were to have a family member that would happen [to], I would like to know the truth," he told NBC Nightly.
"Mr Scott didn't deserve this, and there were other ways that can be used to get him arrested, and that wasn't the proper way to do that."
US authorities have refused to say whether other police officers will be charged in the cover-up of Mr Scott's death.
North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey would not answer questions on the involvement of other members of the force in the killing of Mr Scott.
