Demonstrators chanted “release the tape” and “we want the tape” Thursday while briefly blocking an intersection near Bank of America headquarters and later climbing the steps to the door of the city government center.
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Charlotte is the latest US city to be shaken by protests and recriminations over the death of a black man at the hands of police, a list that includes Baltimore, Milwaukee, Chicago, New York and Ferguson, Missouri. Her Republican rival, Donald Trump, questioned what the Tulsa officer was thinking in shooting a man he said appeared to pose no imminent threat.
The rioting that has engulfed the city claimed a victim on Thursday, as city officials said a protester shot on Wednesday had died.
“A thorough investigation relies on multiple factors, and I can tell you one piece of evidence will never, ever make a good case”, Putney told reporters today.
“There is no legal reason to withhold the video from the public, and in this fraught situation, the best way to allay the community’s distrust is complete transparency”, the NY daily wrote.
The probe into Scott’s death has now been officially handed over to North Carolina’s State Bureau of Investigation, which will be in charge of providing updates and releasing further information on the status of the investigation, according to Putney.
Police have said that Scott was shot to death by a black officer after he disregarded loud, repeated warnings to drop his gun.
Conflicting versions of what happened – police say Scott was armed with a handgun while his family says he was holding a book – fueled the angry protests.
But he added: “When taken in the totality of all the other evidence, it supports what we said”. He said that in the video, Scott gets out of his vehicle calmly.
The family’s attorney, Justin Bamberg, said in a statement that the videos depicted a different account of Scott’s actions from what the police initially offered.
In the footage, Rakeyia Scott tells husband Keith Scott to get out of his auto as Charlotte police surround him. However, the video is blurred and it is not clear whether Scott was holding a gun or any other object in his hand.
Scott was shot as he walked slowly backward with his hands by his side, Bamberg said.
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Criminal investigations have been opened in both cities following the shootings, and the U.S. Justice Department has started a separate probe into the Oklahoma incident to see if officers’ use of force amounted to a civil rights violation. The police chief said a gun was found next to the dead man, and there was no book.
