Not long after the Facebook video was posted Tuesday night, the first night of destructive protests began near the scene of the shooting, about 15 miles northeast of downtown Charlotte.
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Charlotte has spent two nights with violent clashes in the streets, angry at the killing of yet another black man by the police.
The protests were a continuation of anger that boiled over following the death of 43-year-old Keith Lamont Scott, who was shot and killed Tuesday in Charlotte.
“Some protesters threw bottles of water, trash cans, even plants they ripped from the ground at police”, Bullock reports.
Police blocked access to the area, which is about a mile from the campus of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, as protesters gathered after the shooting.
Police and protesters carry the seriously wounded protester..
The Charlotte shooting took place at 4 p.m. local time Tuesday as officers searching for a suspect arrived in the parking lot of an apartment complex.
Wednesday marked the second night in a row that officers in riot gear used tear gas against demonstrators, who initially remained largely peaceful.
While the police department is working to accommodate the Scott family’s request to see the body-cam footage, Putney reiterated that he has no plans to publicly release the videos, arguing that it would jeopardize the integrity of the investigation.
Officers discovered an unidentified male with gunshot wounds upon arrival, police said.
Under the law, police departments can decide whether to make such video public. “I’m telling you right now if you think I say we should display a victim’s worst day for consumption; that is not the transparency I’m speaking of”.
“We call for the full release of all facts available”, said William Barber, president of the state’s chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), in a statement.
However his family and a witness to the shooting said Mr Scott was holding a book, not a firearm. Authorities say Scott was wielding a handgun and was shot after refusing commands to drop it. The plainclothes officer who shot Scott, Brently Vinson, was not wearing a camera. But at least three major companies told workers to avoid downtown offices.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools said early Thursday morning they are operating on a normal schedule.
Gov. Pat McCrory declared a state of emergency as midnight approached, saying he was calling in the National Guard and state troopers to help restore order.
The Bank of America, headquartered in Charlotte, urged employees to stay home Thursday due to the ongoing unrest, WBTV reported.
“Due to the recent events and the declared state of emergency in Charlotte, Wells Fargo team members are not required to report to work Thursday, September 22”, an email from Wells Fargo read.
Federal help also is on the way, with the Justice Department sending to Charlotte a team of trained peacekeepers created to help resolve community conflict.
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“Since black lives do not matter for this city, our black dollars shouldn’t matter”, said B.J. Murphy, a radio host and leader of the Nation of Islam. Video from the scene showed people with brooms, sweeping up broken glass.
