CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) – The mayor of Charlotte said Thursday that some police video capturing the moments when an officer fatally shot a black man will eventually be released, but she suggested it wouldn’t be imminent despite a second night of violent protests that prompted the governor to call in the National Guard.
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Putney said the city’s resources have been tied up, but now with help from the State Highway Patrol and State National Guard, more help is available.
The non-fatal shooting was “civilian on civilian” and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department did not fire the shot, the City of Charlotte said via Twitter.
The Latest on protests in Charlotte, North Carolina over the fatal police shooting of a black man.
After approaching Scott in his vehicle, officers told him to drop his handgun but he did not follow the orders, Police Chief Kerr Putney said, adding that black officer Brentley Vinson later shot Scott.
“I don’t know that he (Keith Scott) definitively pointed a weapon at an officer” but he says Scott did have a gun. His daughter, Lyric Scott, said in a Facebook live video that her father was disabled and was reading a book in his auto.
Hundreds were expected throughout the evening as Charlotte-Mecklenburg police prepared for another long night, but hopefully a more peaceful one.
Companies including Bank of America, Wells Fargo and Duke Energy urged employees to stay home following the unrest.
A man runs from tear gas in Charlotte.
Neither the North Carolina Highway Patrol nor Charlotte police could immediately be reached for comment about the Wednesday morning protests. As the protesters approached the Omni hotel, officers in riot gear lined up outside arm in arm and a few marchers threw bottles and clods of dirt.
Police Chief Kerr Putney said at least one officer shot the man.
“He got out of his vehicle, he walked back to comply, and all his compliance did was get him murdered”, said Taheshia Williams, whose balcony overlooks the shady parking spot where Scott was Tuesday afternoon. Both men were African-American, a police official said.
This story has been corrected with Charlotte officials saying the man shot during the protest is on life support and is not dead.
Some stores were looted, including the Charlotte Hornets’ NBA store, local media reported. People are then told to back up from the scene. Officers responded with tear gas and flash bangs to clear the crowd.
“As a family, we respect the rights of those who wish to protest, but we ask that people protest peacefully”.
Detectives were interviewing witnesses, police said.
In a Facebook Live video, Scott’s daughter speculates that investigators planted a weapon in the auto.
Officer Brentley Vinson was identified as the officer who shot Scott, WCCB reports.
“They said they want to question him”.
“We call for the full release of all facts available”, the NAACP said.
Earlier yesterday, presidential candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton weighed in on the violence in Charlotte, which came on the heels of another fatal police shooting of a black man, Terence Crutcher, on Friday in Tulsa.
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Community activists and protesters are calling for the release of the video of the incident to get clarification on what exactly happened.
