A black police officer shot an armed black man at an apartment complex Tuesday, authorities said, prompting angry street protests late into the night.
Advertisement
One person has been injured in violence that has broken out at a second night of protests in the United States city of Charlotte, North Carolina. Putney said 16 officers suffered mostly minor injuries and police cars were damaged after people began throwing rocks.
Another recent high-profile police shooting in Charlotte occurred in September 2013, when Charlotte-Mecklenburg officers fatally shot Jonathan Ferrell after the black 24-year-old crashed his auto in a residential neighborhood several miles from the complex where Scott was killed.
The killing inflamed racial tensions in a city that seemed to have steered clear of the troubles that engulfed other places. About 12 officers were reported injured. He was shot by an African-American officer after refusing repeated demands to put down a gun, which was recovered from the scene, Putney said. Scott’s family said he was reading in his vehicle and was unarmed, but the police chief disputed that.
“As a community, we in Charlotte-Mecklenburg have always worked tirelessly to address concerns surrounding police and community relations”, Ratchford said.
Scott’s family said he was unarmed and sitting in his vehicle reading a book on Tuesday, waiting for his son to come home from school.
Others who gathered at the site of the shooting also were quick to insist that Scott was holding a book, not a firearm, and that the officer who opened fire was white, not black.
But police said Scott got out of the vehicle holding a gun.
Police officials have not released dash cam video of the shooting.
Forty-three-year-old Keith Lamont Scott was shot to death by an officer who has been placed on administrative leave during the investigation into the shooting.
“Our officers acting heroically were just trying to de-escalate the situation and resolve it as peacefully as possible”, Putney said.
He added while it was evident Mr Scott was armed, it was unclear whether he was pointing the weapon at officers.
Twitter, Facebook and Facebook Live video posts from people on the scene took the news of Keith Lamont Scott’s death Tuesday, and the following protest, viral in mere hours. Both men were African-American, a police official said.
Sixteen officers were injured on the first night of unrest, as police in riot gear clashed with demonstrators who threw stones, set fires and briefly blocked an interstate highway.
Meanwhile, civil rights activists are calling for an economic boycott of the city of Charlotte in response to the police shooting.
Knight, 41, said he questions Putney’s version of events.
Putney told reporters at Wednesday’s press conference that dashcam footage was under review and had recorded parts of the police confrontation with Scott.
Family members say Scott was disabled and wouldn’t have it in his heart to hurt police officers.
“I do encourage the youth to be controlled, but I can’t control them”, Barnett said.
Another demonstration took place Tuesday outside of police headquarters in the midwestern city of Tulsa, where on Friday an officer killed an unarmed black man standing next to his auto.
Advertisement
“They have once again highlighted – in the most vivid and painful terms – the real divisions that still persist in this nation between law enforcement and communities of color”, Lynch said.
