Michael Slager faces 19 to 24 years for shooting death of Walter Scott

Former South Carolina police officer Michael Slager faces a sentence of 19 to 24 years in prison for the fatal shooting of unarmed black man Walter Scott.

The preliminary sentencing decision from District Judge David Norton comes after Slager pleaded guilty to a federal civil rights offense and was then found to have committed second-degree murder and obstruction of justice.

Slager shot and killed 33-year-old Scott in North Charleston, S.C., on April 4, 2015 during an encounter that was captured on video by a witness. The video, which showed Scott running from Slager when he was shot, was spread widely throughout social media and sparked a national conversation surrounding Scott's death.

RELATED: A look back at Walter Scott's funeral

*A previous version of this report indicated that Slager had been formally sentenced to 19 to 24 years on Thursday. The final sentencing is expected to be announced later today.

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• This article was initially published on AOL.com: Michael Slager faces 19 to 24 years for shooting death of Walter Scott