(AP Photo/Chuck Burton). Demonstrators protest Tuesday’s fatal police shooting of Keith Lamont Scott in Charlotte, N.C. on Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2016. A civilian died from a gunshot and several police officers were hurt.
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Protesters took to the streets for a third night but were largely peaceful Thursday.
Despite demands from the family and community for police to release dashcam and body camera footage to the public, police are resisting such a move. Initially, police accounts reported that Scott exited the vehicle holding a weapon, but Chief Putney said in a press conference earlier today that the video does not “definitively” show Scott holding a weapon.
“In the interest of transparency and accountability, and particularly in light of conflicting accounts about the shooting, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department should quickly release any and all footage it has of the events leading up to the shooting, as well as the shooting itself”, said Karen Anderson, the ACLU of North Carolina executive director.
The family urged police to make the videos public. Scott was careful not to second guess the decisions of law enforcement saying, “I’m not a law enforcement officer, so I’m not going to pretend to understand and appreciate their concept and their approach to releasing the video”.
Charlotte Mayor, Jennifer Roberts, has announced a midnight to 6am curfew – which will be in place until the end of the “state of emergency”. Even though a curfew has been imposed in the city, protesters were seen peacefully rallying on the streets of Charlotte on Friday to protest against the fatal police shootings in the US. The demonstrators’ ranks appeared to thin from their peak of several hundred as the early morning arrived.
A number of National Guard troops and riot police were monitoring closely the demonstration after two nights of violent unrest, in which 17 police officers were wounded and 44 protesters arrested.
Several buildings were damaged in the chaos, including the NASCAR Hall of Fame and the downtown Charlotte Hyatt hotel.
City officials said police did not shoot the man and no arrests have been made over 26-year-old Justin Carr’s death. Relatives said he was unarmed and was holding a book.
What I can tell you that I saw…the video does not give me absolute definitive visual evidence that would confirm that a person is pointing a gun.
“In talking to his family, my understanding is that he didn’t own a gun, that he didn’t carry a gun”, Bamberg said.
Manberg said the Scott family does not agree with recent rioting in the Queen City, but support citizens’ right to voice their anger.
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“When he was shot and killed, Mr. Scott’s hands were by his side and he was slowly walking backwards”, Bamberg said. ” Police insist that the 43-year-old father had a gun, but other witnesses say that Scott had a book in his hand when he was shot”.
