Washington, Jun 9 (IANS): A grand jury on Monday indicted a white former police officer on a murder charge for fatally shooting a black man in the US state of South Carolina in April this year.

Former officer Michael Slager, 33, had been jailed in April after being charged with the murder of Walter Scott, 50, in North Charleston city. Slager shot at Scott's back eight times while he was running away from him. The whole process was filmed by a passer-by on his mobile phone, Xinhua reported.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) probed the incident after the video was handed over to the city authorities.

Demonstrators were held in the US city to protest the killing of Scott, following which Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina called the shooting "absolutely unnecessary and avoidable".

Scott's shooting stirred memories of Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager killed by a white police officer last year.

If convicted of murder, Slager could face 30 years in jail or life in prison without parole, prosecutor Scarlett Wilson was quoted as saying.