You understand? They shot him and then killed him.
Advertisement
(Warning: Video above contains material that some viewers may find disturbing due to the graphic nature).
Charlotte-Mecklenburg police released videos Saturday of the deadly encounter between a Charlotte officer and Keith Scott.
The two minutes and 16 seconds of smartphone footage filmed by Rakeyia Scott, released by her lawyers to AFP and other news media, does not show the shooting itself – and does not conclusively answer the question of whether he was armed – but captures the moments surrounding it as she pleads with officers not to open fire.
Scott’s wife in the video also tells police that her husband had a TBI, or traumatic brain injury, and had just taken “his medicine”. She also speaks directly to her husband in the vehicle.
“Keith, don’t let them break the windows!” Come on out the auto.
RAKEYIA SCOTT: Keith! Don’t you do it.
Rakeyia Scott: Keith, don’t you do it.
Audio in the body camera footage can’t be heard until after Scott is on the ground. Scott gets out and starts walking backward before shots are fired. “He better live, because he didn’t do nothing to them”.
Charlotte police on Friday also announced the arrest of a suspect in the killing of a demonstrator shot during protests Wednesday night.
Scott’s death set off protests and riots in Charlotte.
Carr, who had been listed in critical condition, died Thursday at a hospital. Upon their contact with the father of seven, they noticed he was in possession of marijuana and gun.
Demonstrators defied a midnight curfew today and took to the city streets for a third straight night.
The City of Charlotte said the video they have from dash cams and body cams is not going to be released, even though the city has asked them to.
Authorities said Friday the curfew will extend into the weekend.
Charlotte Mayor Jennifer Roberts told reporters Friday she believes the video should be released – but that doing so too soon could interfere with the probe by leading witnesses to change their accounts. By 2 a.m. Friday, much of the crowd had dispersed. Roberts has seen two police videos as well as the family one. Local police were flanked by members of the National Guard carrying rifles in efforts to keep crowds calm.
Mr Scott’s family said that he did not possess a weapon and that he was reading a book as he waited for his daughter.
Police in a statement on Saturday described Scott as backing away from his vehicle.
“While police did give him several commands, he did not aggressively approach them or raise his hands at members of law enforcement at any time”.
The video taken by Scott’s wife shows both a white officer and black officer in plain clothes and police vests on the scene.
Police are insisting they can not release the footage to the public because of an “active investigation”, although it is unclear how release of the footage would sully the investigation any more than the police chief insisting all the evidence supports the police “version of the truth”. He said it is “irresponsible” of police not to release the video immediately.Other cities have released footage of police shootings.
Advertisement
“Holding onto the video does not make things better”, Barnett said.
