Chaos gripped downtown Charlotte Wednesday night as protests against the fatal police shooting of a black man devolved into violence prompting authorities to declare a state of emergency in the city.
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His death sparked violent protests on Tuesday night, leaving 16 officers injured.
City of Charlotte officials said police were not responsible for the shooting but protesters doubted the claim.
“People get upset when we say ‘black lives matter, black lives matter, ‘ said a student”. At least a dozen protesters were arrested throughout the evening. The police fired flash grenades and then tear gas shells, dispersing a crowd of several hundreds.
But not all the marchers left. On Wednesday night, a civilian was critically injured when they were shot by another civilian. I look at the protests when they turn violent, and that’s not who we are.
“That begins with actions like releasing the video and calling for transparency, accountability and collaboration”, Congresswoman Alma S. Adams said, in a statement posted on Facebook. Some also blocked Interstate 85 and started a fire in the middle of the highway.
The shooting was captured by a police helicopter and a cruiser dashcam, though it’s not clear from the footage what led Shelby to draw her gun or what orders officers gave Crutcher.
“My daddy’s dead! My daddy’s dead!” she screams.
One protester was shot and gravely wounded by a civilian, and four police officers suffered non-life threatening injuries, city officials said on Twitter.
The Charlotte police chief earlier announced the death, but later on the statement was retracted.
Scott’s family has said he was reading a book in his vehicle when police officers approached and shot him. Police say Scott was an imminent threat and they didn’t find a book at the scene.
“It’s time to change the narrative, because I can tell you from the facts that the story’s a little bit different as to how it’s been portrayed so far, especially through social media”, Putney added.
“Keith was a loving husband, father, brother and friend who will be deeply missed every day”, Rakeyia Scott said. Police have refused to release any video.
The officers have been placed on administrative leave, as is standard procedure in such cases.
Neither the North Carolina Highway Patrol nor Charlotte police could immediately be reached for comment.
And some leaders called for a black boycott of Charlotte. The city managed to pull through a racially charged shooting three years ago without the unrest that erupted in recent years in places such as Baltimore, Milwaukee and Ferguson, Missouri.
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According to Putney, Officer Brentley Vinson, the man identified as the officer who opened fire, was not wearing a body camera, but other uniformed officers on scene were.
