WARNING: DISTURBING FOOTAGE

Disturbing body cam footage showing the moment an unarmed man was shot dead by a US police officer while he pleaded for his life has been released by a court.

The ruling to release the footage showing the death of Daniel Shaver came after a former Arizona police officer was cleared of his murder.

Mr Shaver can be heard sobbing and begging "please don't kill me" before he is shot five times by an officer at a hotel in Arizona.

Philip Mitchell Brailsford, 27, was found not guilty of murder after the fatal shooting in 2016, but Mr Shaver's family have described the killing as an "execution".

The video shows Shaver, who was staying at the motel while on a work trip, being ordered to crawl out of the room after police responded to a report of a man pointing a gun out of the room’s window. It was later determined that Shaver had a pellet gun in the room for his pest control job.

As he makes his way towards the officers he is seen reaching towards the waistband of his shorts, prompting the police to shoot Mr Brailsford, hitting him five times and killing him instantly.

Mr Brailsford said he fired his rifle as he believed Mr Shaver was reaching for a handgun from his waistband. No gun was found on Shaver's body.

The video, which prompted worldwide condemnation, was posted online by the attorney for Shaver's wife, Laney Sweet, who is suing the Mesa Police Department for $75 million and had been fighting for the release of the video.

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