Man shot by cops in Charlotte bought gun from burglar: report. As a convicted felon he was ineligible to own a gun so that he had a permit cannot be true. The
The pistol that police said was in the possession of Keith Lamont Scott (right). Photo: Reuters
The man shot dead by cops in Charlotte was in possession of a gun he had bought from a burglar who stole it during a residential burglary, according to a report.
The burglar admitted he sold the gun to Keith Lamont Scott, 43, who was shot Sept. 20 by a Charlotte-Mecklenburg cop when officers noticed him with marijuana while they were serving a warrant on someone, sources told WBTV. Authorities have not released information about the alleged burglar.
Meanwhile, it emerged that Scott’s wife, Rakeyia, filed for a restraining order against him last year, saying in October that authorities should consider him a potential threat because he carried a 9mm handgun, The Charlotte Observer reported.
Scott’s relatives have said he was unarmed while he waited for one of his children to be dropped off from school, but authorities say he refused commands to drop a gun that they later recovered at the scene.
The loaded gun bore Scott’s fingerprints, DNA and bood, a police source told WBTV.
Modal TriggerA pistol that police said was in the possession of Keith Lamont Scott.Photo: Reuters
“Officers did not consider Mr. Scott’s drug activity to be a priority at the time and they resumed the warrant operation,” a Monday police release states. “A short time later, Officer (Brentley) Vinson observed Mr. Scott hold a gun up.
“Due to the combination of illegal drugs and the gun Mr. Scott had in his possession, officers decided to take enforcement action for public safety concerns,” the release continued. “Officers departed the immediate area to outfit themselves with marked duty vests and equipment that would clearly identify them as police officers.”
At that point, a uniformed cop in a marked car arrived to assist, and “utilized his baton to attempt to breach the front passenger window in an effort to arrest” Scott, WBTV reported. The dash-cam video was recorded from the car.
Modal TriggerThis photo circulating on social media appears to show Keith Lamont Scott on the ground next to a firearm.
Scott then got out of his vehicle with the gun and “backed away from the vehicle while continuing to ignore officers’ repeated loud verbal commands to drop the gun.”
“Officer Vinson perceived Mr. Scott’s actions and movements as an imminent physical threat to himself and the other officers. Officer Vinson fired his issued service weapon, striking Mr. Scott,” the release said. “Officers immediately rendered first aid and requested Medic to respond to the scene.”
Police Chief Kerr Putney said his department is not pressing charges against Vinson.
On Saturday, police released portions of available video from the incident. Many are demanding that police release all of the footage.
Scott was convicted of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in 2005, after he fired more than 10 rounds from a 9mm and injured a man in San Antonio, Texas, the Charlotte paper reported.
He was sentenced to seven years in prison for the assault and for trying to evade arrest. He unsuccessfully petitioned for a reduced sentence, saying he was acting in self- defense and trying to protect his family, the Observer reported.
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In other developments:
Police did not capture key video footage of the fatal shooting because a responding officer apparently didn’t turn on his body camera until after Scott had already been shot – a violation of department policy, WBTV reported.
According to department policy, uniformed cops must activate their body cams before interactions with citizens that involve traffic stops, suspicious vehicles, “voluntary investigative contact” and arrests.
Vinson, who police said fired four shots at Scott, was not wearing a body cam.
Angry Charlotte residents assailed City Council members during a meeting Monday night in which many called on Putney, Mayor Jennifer Roberts and other council members to resign.
“It’s going to be rough in these streets until you give justice to our people,” the Rev. Milton Williams said. “Our city’s in an uproar, and you did not respond.”
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