A North Charleston, South Carolina police officer was indicted Monday on a charge of murder in connection to the April 4 videotaped shooting of a suspect who took multiple shots to the back while fleeing a traffic stop.

Officer Michael Slager, 33, is accused of murdering Walter Scott, 50, and faces a maximum life term if convicted. The shooting, captured on film by a bystander's mobile phone, prompted widespread protests. What's more, it placed renewed attention to a YouTube society that has become fixated on filming police activity and uploading that footage to the Internet for all the public to see.

Scarlett Wilson, solicitor for the Ninth Judicial Circuit, told a news conference that the video alone wasn't enough evidence for the grand jury indictment.

Further Reading Man who filmed cop killing fleeing suspect says an officer “told me to stop”

"Just because you have video in this case, it doesn't mean it's the be-all and end-all," she said.

The defendant's attorney has not seen the state's case that led to Monday's grand jury indictment.

"We remain at a disadvantage in addressing any questions," defense attorney Andy Savage said in a statement. "Until we have an opportunity to fully evaluate the state’s case and to compare it with our own investigation, we will not be commenting."

Slater remains jailed without bail. The victim's family said it intends to file a civil rights lawsuit soon.

Despite the global media coverage, there's more to the case than meets the eye. Beyond police abuse and incidents caught on video, this case blends death penalty politics and copyright issues. Feidin Santana, the 23-year-old South Carolina man who filmed the shooting as he walked to work, said an officer that arrived on scene moments after the incident demanded that he stop recording. Santana said he then left the scene for work at a nearby barber job. He said he refused to abide by police orders to stay put as well. Regarding copyright, a Santana representative said he is charging a $10,000 fee or more to carry footage of the shooting, and he has sent cease-and-desist letters to some media outlets. Ars has embedded the YouTube video displayed above.

Further Reading Cop who shot fleeing suspect not eligible for lethal injection

Wilson, the prosecutor, has said Slager is not eligible for the death penalty. "Based on the facts revealed thus far, it does not appear South Carolina's death penalty provision applies in this case because there are no statutory 'aggravating circumstances' present," Wilson said in the shooting's aftermath.

As Ars has previously reported, there are 22 such circumstances under the law, including committing murder in the commission of another felony, such as rape, robbery, kidnapping. Condemned inmates in South Carolina are executed via lethal injection.