Walter Scott family reaches $6.5M settlement with city

The family of Walter Scott, a black South Carolina man shot and killed by a police officer who is now facing murder charges, has reached a $6.5 million settlement with city officials.

The North Charleston, S.C. city council approved the settlement Thursday night at a hearing attended by Scott's family and their attorneys.

Officer Michael Slager, who is white, was arrested and charged with murder after a videotape taken by a bystander showed the officer shooting a fleeing Scott in the back multiple times on April 4. Scott died at the scene. The video, replayed across the country, captured national attention and underscored increasing tension between white police officers and black men.

"I am glad the city and the family were able to reach a settlement without the necessity of a lawsuit," North Charleston Mayor R. Keith Summey said shortly after the settlement's approval. "Both sides have met many times and worked very hard over the past several months to resolve this matter."

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