CHARLOTTE, N.C. -Charlotte police released body camera and dashboard videos on Saturday, Sept. 24, showing the fatal shooting of a black man that triggered protests in the North Carolina city, but the footage did not show whether the victim was holding a gun. “But what we do see is compelling evidence that, when you put all the pieces together, supports that”, Putney said.
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In one of the police videos, a dashboard-mounted camera from a squad auto showed Scott exiting his vehicle and then backing away from it. Police shout to him to drop a gun, but it is not clear that Scott is holding anything. He falls to the ground after four shots are heard.
But Scott’s family and residents disputed the police claim, insisting that Scott was holding a book instead of a gun. Kerr said “laws were broken”, because Scott was in possession of marijuana.
Putney said that Scott was “absolutely in possession of a handgun”, and that officers also saw marijuana in his auto – prompting them to act.
Charlotte police released a photo of a pistol they said Scott had when he was shot, along with photos of an ankle holster they said they had removed from Scott’s leg and what they said was a marijuana joint.
The dashboard camera footage starts with a police vehicle pulling up as two officers point their guns at Mr Scott, who is inside the SUV with the doors closed and windows rolled up.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Kerr Putney released the footage after announcing his decision at a Saturday afternoon news conference.
A video taken by Scott’s wife and released to the public on Friday did not provide an answer on whether Scott had a gun. “That I did not visually see in the video”, Putney said.
Putney reemphasized Saturday that Scott had a handgun and added that he was also in possession of marijuana. They also chanted, “No tapes, no peace” and raised signs including one reading “Stop Killing The Black People”.
An extra police officer joined the two who arrived in a patrol auto, the release added.
Not all the video was released, with Putney saying additional police video was not relevant to the shooting.
The dramatic video footage released shows officers surrounding Scott with his hands at his side before shots are fired and he buckles to the ground. He said other evidence concluded that Scott was in possession of a gun.
The CMPD said police officers at the scene saw marijuana and a weapon inside Scott’s vehicle and that Vinson opened fire after Scott refused to obey police commands to drop a handgun. Someone shouts “drop the gun” several times before Scott exits his auto.
Charlotte police have released body and dashboard camera footage of the fatal shooting of black man.
CMPD chief Kerr Putney told a news conference earlier Saturday that he chose to release the videos to the public after determining that the release would not have an adverse impact on the investigation.
Police say Scott was carrying a gun at the time of the deadly standoff. Demonstrators on Saturday gathered for a fifth day in the city’s centre.
Scott’s family and family attorneys said the videos showed Scott walking away slowly from officers at the time he was struck by bullets.
Forty-four people were arrested after Wednesday’s protests and one protester who was shot died in hospital on Thursday.
The next two nights of protests were free of property damage and violence, with organizers stressing a message of peace at the end of the week. City officials said police did not shoot 26-year-old Justin Carr, and a suspect was arrested.
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Authorities have released footage of a fatal shooting of an African-American man in the U.S. city of Charlotte.
