A white man who was the police chief in a small South Carolina town has finally been charged with murder in the 2011 shooting death of an unarmed black man after being denied a 'stand your ground' defense.

Richard Combs worked in Eutawville when 54-year-old Bernard Bailey, a retired corrections officer, came to the Town Hall to complain about a ticket his daughter had received over a broken taillight in May 2011.

Following an argument, Combs issued Bailey an obstruction of justice warrant, and Bailey stormed out of the building.

Bailey got into his truck in the parking lot and began backing up as Combs opened the driver's door of the pick-up.

Indicted: Former Eutawville police chief Richard Combs (left) shot 54-year-old Bernard Bailey twice in the chest and once in the shoulder after Bailey entered town hall with a ticket complaint

Richard Combs, the former police chief and sole officer in the small town of Eutawville, listens in court with his lawyer John O'Leary on Thursday December 4, 2014, in Orangeburg, South Carolina, as he is charged

Scene: Bailey walked into the parking lot of the Town Hall after Combs served him with an arrest warrant and the two briefly fought at Bailey's truck before Combs started firing in May 2011

The chief told investigators he felt his safety was threatened and began firing his gun.

Combs fatally shot Bailey twice in the chest and once in the shoulder.

After a delayed investigation, a grand jury indicted Combs on Wednesday, the same day a New York grand jury refused to indict an officer in the chokehold death of an unarmed black man.

It's more than a week after a grand jury refused to indict an officer in the death of unarmed Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.

Combs' lawyer maintain the officer feared for his life.

Prosecutors say he was the aggressor.

Investigation: Family and friends of Bernard Bailey say the investigation into his death dragged on too long

Crime scene: Combs' lawyer maintain the officer feared for his life. Prosecutors say he was the aggressor

The indictment against Combs says the former police chief 'unlawfully used deadly force ... shooting and killing Bernard Bailey, when deadly force was not necessary,' during the confrontation, according to The Times and Democrat.

'There was no need for Mr. Combs to act as he did on May 2, 2011, when Mr. Bailey refused service, as Mr. Combs expected would happen,' the order stated.

'Mr. Combs should have allowed Mr. Bailey to leave and enlisted the assistance of other officers or serve the warrant at court as originally planned.'

Combs was placed on administrative leave after the shooting.

He was eventually fired.

If found guilty, Combs faces up to 10 years in prison.

Beareaved: Dorris and Briana Bailey, the wife and daughter of the victim, were awarded $400,000 in a wrongful death lawsuit earlier this year

Eutawville's population is just over 300 people.

About one-third of the population are black.

Friends and family of Bailey - a Walmart manager - have complained that the investigation into his death dragged on too long.

In October 2012, the family filed their own lawsuit naming Combs, the town, and the police department in a wrongful death case, according to ABC News 4.