Protests erupt in Charlotte after police shooting of Keith Lamont Scott
Protests erupted in Charlotte on Tuesday night after a disabled black man, Keith Lamont Scott, was fatally shot by police.
Protests erupted in Charlotte on Tuesday night after a disabled black man was fatally shot by police.
Police say they were serving an outstanding warrant when they encountered Keith Lamont Scott in his car outside of an apartment complex. They say Scott got out, produced a gun and got back into his vehicle.
Brentley Vinson, who is also black, has been identified as the officer who fired the deadly shot.
Despite claims by police that Scott put officers in “imminent danger,” some witnesses and relatives disagree.
“Man was in his truck, reading a book waiting for his kid to come home,” said a man on scene. “Cops shot him, for nothing.”
Family members say Scott was in his car waiting on his son to get home from school.
BREAKING: brother of man killed in CMPD shooting says he got out of his car because he was armed & scared of PD pic.twitter.com/IgwsrLmfKf
— Tanya Mendis (@tanyamendis) September 20, 2016
Here’s the man’s sister. She says he did not have a gun. @CMPD says he did. @WBTV_News pic.twitter.com/JwHMixy9m7
— Sarah-Blake Morgan (@SarahBlakeWBTV) September 20, 2016
A woman who said she was Scott’s daughter posted a video on Facebook Live from the scene. “Shot my Daddy for being black! And look they’re just standing there,” she said.
In the video, she said he was disabled, didn’t have a gun and was even scared of the police. The woman later told reporters that she heard police come up to Scott yelling at him to get his hands up and then breaking open the car window. She claimed he was Tasered and then shot four times.
Shortly after the shooting, crowds of protesters took to the streets, resulting in a clash with law enforcement. At some point during the night, tear gas was reportedly used on protesters.
Officer Vinson, who has been on the force since 2014, was placed on administrative leave.
