Protesters and police in Charlotte confronted each other for a third evening, on Thursday night, in a roaming demonstration as the family of police shooting victim Keith Scott said it still had “more questions than answers” after privately viewing footage of his killing.
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His wife of 20 years “saw him get shot and killed”, Attorney Justin Bamberg said, speaking on behalf of the grieving family on Thursday afternoon.
Scott’s family says he was unarmed, and was instead carrying a book when he was shot.
Putney said he has reviewed video of the shooting and what he saw does not give absolute definitive proof that Scott was pointing a gun, but Putney said it does support what has been reported that Scott was armed and did not follow repeated commands to put it down. Scott was waiting for his 9-year-old son to be dropped off from school, she said.
“I would like to think that but I can tell you this. there’s your truth, my truth and the truth”, the police chief said.
One protester was shot and critically wounded; city officials said police did not shoot the man.
Additionally, one police officer was injured during the melee and had to be transported to a local hospital.
Numerous protesters dispute the official account of Scott’s death.
The anger driving the protesting was fueled further by Putney’s decision to withhold the body camera footage of Scott being shot from the public.
“There must be transparency and the videos must be released”, the Rev. William Barber, who sits on the national board of the NAACP, told a news conference.
Several businesses in uptown and near the Epicentre were looted and broken into last night as several people protested the shooting death of Keith Scott. Her Republican rival, Donald Trump, questioned what the Tulsa officer was thinking in shooting a man he said appeared to pose no imminent threat.
“Let me make this very clear, this family does not agree with rioting or innocent individuals being injured or killed”, Bamberg said. “It’s unfortunate to say that we have to be patient, but that’s the way it’s going to have to be”, Walter said. Law enforcement and city officials have called for peace and patience while authorities investigate the shooting. He also said police videos don’t always provide the open-shut information expected.
The shooting has sparked violent protests in Charlotte.
Numerous signs say “Black lives matter”, some read “No justice, no peace”. Three uniformed officers at the shooting scene had body cameras; Vinson did not, police said. Protesters march behind a bicycle officer along Trade Street in Charlotte, N.C., Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2016.
“My plan is to have my people ready, we are”, Chief Kerr Putney said Wednesday morning.
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Earlier Thursday, demonstrators chanted “release the tape” and “we want the tape” while briefly blocking an intersection near Bank of America headquarters and later climbing the steps in front of the city government center. Despite that fact, officers still approached Scott in his vehicle and said that he reportedly had a handgun in his possession. “Right now, we don’t see the need to shut the city down at a specific hour”, he told a news conference.
