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By Erin McClam

A South Carolina grand jury returned a murder indictment on Monday against a former police officer who shot and killed an unarmed man in April.

Officer Michael Slager of the North Charleston police was captured on video firing eight shots at Walter Scott on April 4 as Scott was running away from him.

The indictment was announced by Scarlett Wilson, a state prosecutor. She said that murder was the only charge presented to the grand jury.

Slager had been charged with murder almost immediately.

The officer initially claimed that Scott, 50, grabbed his Taser after a traffic stop. Video captured by a bystander showed a confrontation, then Scott running away, then Slager firing eight times at some distance.

It was the latest in a string of shootings that ignited debate about police tactics, particularly the shooting of unarmed black men. Scott was black; Slager is white.

Wilson said previously that Slager was probably not eligible for the death penalty.

Michael Slager.Charleston County Sheriff's Office
Erin McClam

Erin McClam is a senior writer for NBC News, responsible for reporting, writing and editing general news for NBCNews.com. Prior to joining the site in January 2013, McClam worked at The Associated Press, where he spent 13 years and was most recently financial markets editor. In that role, McClam was responsible for a team of five reporters and a deputy editor that covered the stock and bond markets, financial regulation and the nation's largest banks.

Prior to that role, McClam held a variety of jobs at AP, including being a national correspondent and an original member of its Top Stories Desk editing operation.

McClam lives in New York.