North Carolina governor Pat McCrory declared a state of emergency in response to the clashes between protesters and police tonight, per Deadspin’s latest reports. A black police officer shot an armed black man at an apartment complex Tuesday, authorities said, prompting angry street protests late into the night.
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The incident started when Charlotte police looking to serve a warrant Tuesday shot and killed a man in the parking lot of an apartment complex.
Police said Keith Scott, 43, was armed and ignoring officers’ orders when he was gunned down, while the victim’s family and a witness said he was holding a book, not a weapon.
One person was critically injured after being shot during the protests, city officials said.
Riot police have lined the streets to face off against hundreds of protesters and tear gas has been fired.
Immediately after the shooting, police began firing flash grenades and protesters threw fireworks. Police kept their distance for about an hour, but officers in riot gear moved in as the marchers approached an upscale hotel.
A protester stands with his left arm extended and fist clenched in front of a line of police officers in Charlotte, N.C. on Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2016.
Scott’s family, however, said he was unarmed when he was killed and was instead reading a book in his auto while waiting to pick up his child from school – a detail that quickly went viral on social media and was seized upon by protesters here. “We gotta talk about it because we’ve got a real problem”.
“I think with the power of media – Facebook, Twitter, all the social media – now it’s something that’s being seen on the daily”.
WBTV will be monitoring Wednesday night’s protests. One person was arrested.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Kerr Putney defended his officers’ actions in an interview with Fox News’ Megyn Kelly on “The Kelly File”.
Harris did not stop, but instead drove to his Charlotte neighborhood, highway patrol Sgt. Michael Baker said.
Wednesday’s unrest comes after the deadly police shooting in Tulsa of an unarmed man Friday.
Crutcher’s father, the Rev. Joey Crutcher, said the overnight protests in Charlotte are “just a continuation of the same thing over and over and over again”.
The Associated Press reported at least one person was injured, reportedly from a gunshot, and rushed to a hospital.
Putney said Wednesday that the department won’t release any footage until a police investigation is complete.
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Vinson has worked for Charlotte-Mecklenburg police for two years.
