Video showed Michael Slager shooting Walter Scott, 50, as he fled from a traffic stop in North Charleston.
A grand jury returned a murder indictment on Monday morning, clearing the way for a formal trial.
Officer Slager now faces up to 30 years in prison. He has been held in jail since charges were announced in April.
The 33-year-old has said that he feared for his safety because Mr Scott had tried to grab his stun gun.
Video of the 4 April encounter was recorded by a bystander on his mobile phone, leading to charges of murder against Officer Slager.
Scott's brother, Rodney, spoke at a press conference on Monday to say the family is "very happy and pleased" with the indictment, but that it is only the first step.
In addition to the criminal trial, a civil lawsuit will be filed by Scott's family in the next few months.
Scarlett Wilson, solicitor for the North Charleston court, warned that despite the video evidence, the murder charge must still be proved in court.
"Just because you have video in this case, it doesn't mean it's the be-all and end-all," said Mrs Wilson at a press conference to announce the indictment.
"The issue is the people who were there who were involved, who saw or heard anything, who can demonstrate what they saw and heard."
The trial date has not yet been set.
A white police officer in South Carolina is to go on trial for the murder of an unarmed black man after shooting him in the back as he ran.