The video is being dissected frame by frame by authorities and media outlets, all in an effort to reconstruct what exactly happened between North Charleston police Officer Michael Slager, a five-year employee of that force, and Walter Scott, 50.
Slager, 33, was charged Tuesday with first-degree murder after firing eight shots at Scott, killing him.
Slager is also now âterminatedâ from the force, North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey said Wednesday.
Added police Chief Eddie Driggers on Wednesday: âI watched the video, and I was sickened by what I saw and I have not watched it since.â
Michael Slager has been charged with first-degree murder in Walter Scott's death.
Charleston County Sheriff
Both Scott and Slager had once served in the U.S. Coast Guard, with Scottâs service occurring 1984-86 and Slagerâs 2003-09. Scott was a father of four. Slager is a father to two stepchildren, and his wife is eight monthsâ pregnant.
Hereâs what we know of the fatal shooting:
9:33 a.m.: Vehicle violation
Slager pulled Scott over at 9:33 a.m. Saturday for a broken taillight, according to authorities.
Chief Driggers described the incident as âtraffic stop of an individual who had a minor infraction on his vehicle, a brake light being out.â
A foot chase then occurred, a police report said.
The video, taken by a passer-by, doesnât show any vehicle.
Rather, Slager and Scott are on a path or roadway in a parklike setting bordered partly by a chain-link fence. The video was shot over and through the fence.
âThe officer said that Walter ran from the vehicle during the traffic stop,â Scott family attorney L. Chris Stewart said.
According to the police report, Scott did not comply with the officerâs demands.
Scottâs brother, Anthony Scott, said his brother had trouble with child support and had an outstanding warrant against him, but that his sibling wasnât prone to violence.
âThat very well could have been the reason (for running from police), not to be arrested for the warrant that was on him for child support,â Anthony Scott said.
A struggle
The video begins by showing a second or two of an apparent struggle between the officer and suspect.
The officer contended he used a Taser stun gun on Scott and that Scott tried to take that weapon, authorities said.
But when Anthony Scott saw the video, he was convinced the officer lied, he told CNN.
Itâs also unknown whether Scott took the officerâs Taser, or whether the officer picked the object up and moved it closer to the body.
Immediately after Scott was shot, according to the video, someone yells, âPut your hands behind your back!â
Scott, motionless and face-down on the ground, is handcuffed.
9:38 a.m.: âSubject is downâ
It was Slager who apparently called police dispatch.
â226 to dispatch, shots fired, subject is down. He grabbed my Taser,â Slager told the dispatcher, according to a transcript provide by Broadcastify.com.
The dispatcher notes that the subject is down at 9:38 a.m., according to the transcript.
9:40 a.m.: Description of wounds
About 90 seconds after saying that Scott âgrabbedâ his Taser, the officer describes Scott as unresponsive and having wounds to the chest, right thigh and buttocks, according to the transcript.
The location of the shooting is behind a pawn shop, the officer tells the dispatcher. A police report identified that shop as Mega Pawn.
According to CNN affiliate WCIV-TV in Charleston, Slager initially said through his attorney, David Aylor, that he followed the appropriate policies and procedures.
However, Aylor later told CNN that he was no longer representing the officer.
âToday, I withdrew my representation of Michael Slager. This is a terrible tragedy that has impacted our community,â Aylor said in a statement.
Saturday: Learning of a brotherâs death
Later, Anthony Scottâs mother calls him and says his brother was Tasered at a traffic stop.
Anthony Scott goes to the scene and finds it curious to see police tape around his brotherâs vehicle and the officerâs vehicle.
He asks officers what happened. No one replies.
Then Anthony Scottâs nephew tells him that âmy brother is gone,â Anthony Scott said.
âAnd at that, I lost it,â Anthony Scott said.
An officer also apprises him later of what happened.
Sunday: First viewing of video
Anthony Scott is shown the video for the first time on Sunday.
âMy reaction to it was that we have to get ahold of the video and that this was key evidence, key evidence in the case,â Anthony Scott said. âWe had to get it. The country had to see this.â
He felt âa little bit of anger and happy at the same time,â the brother said.
âBased on what the video was showing, it was discrediting what the officer had initially stated,â Anthony Scott said.
The nation did indeed see the video â and was stunned by its revelations.
Slager was denied bail at a bond hearing Tuesday night, WCIV reported.
âI have two stepchildren and one on the way,â Slager told a magistrate through video conferencing.
If found guilty of murder, Slager could face up to life in prison or death.
The city of North Charleston will continue to cover the insurance for the pregnancy of Slagerâs wife, the mayor said.
An autopsy on Scott, performed Sunday, ârevealed that Mr. Scott sustained multiple gunshot wounds to the back of his body and the manner of death was ruled âHomicide,â â Charleston County Coroner Rae H. Wooten said Wednesday.
Anthony Scott said Wednesday that his brother was âshot in the back four times.â
The autopsy findings support familyâs claims that the police used excessive use â even if the video never existed, Anthony Scott said.
âEventually we would have gotten to this point, but not this fast,â Anthony Scott said.
âThere is absolutely no way to cover that up,â he added about the gunshot wounds to the back.
North Charleston police arenât involved in the investigation into the shooting and have turned the matter over to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.
The FBI is also investigating.
Familyâs interpretation of video
Anthony Scott and family attorney Stewart believe the object that Officer Slager relocated at the crime scene is the Taser, they said.
Stewart also accused the officer of trying to plant evidence by moving the Taser and placing it close to Walter Scottâs body.
A slow-motion analysis of the tape, along with highlights of key moments, supports the familyâs step-by-step interpretation of the officerâs actions, including the handling of the Taser, the attorney alleged.
âHe drops the Taser, kills Mr. Scott, walks all the way back, picks something up off the ground from where he was taking the shots, comes back to the body, waits a second, drops it on the ground, and then pretends to be recovering it and putting it back on his holster,â Stewart said, referring to the Taser.
âWhy we believe that is because it fits in line with his initial report of what happened out there. I mean he just committed a murder. He needed something, a justifiable reason to use lethal force, and thatâs the only thing he could think of,â Stewart said.
Neither Officer Slager or his attorney could be reached for comment Wednesday.
Authorities arenât commenting on the details of the case while itâs under investigation.
CNNâs Ashley Fantz, Holly Yan, Ryan Scallan, Tristan Smith, Martin Savidge, Dana Ford, Sam Stringer, Randi Kaye, Chandler Friedman, Evan Perez, Don Lemon, Steve Brusk, John Newsome, Tony Marco and Christie Bear contributed to this report.