Photo shows gun next to Charlotte police shooting victim
A photo has emerged in social media showing a gun at the feet of Keith Lamont Scott lying on the ground after he was shot by a police officer in Charlotte, NC.
Two cops – one in uniform and the other with a vest over a red shirt — are seen hovering above the stricken 43-year-old as a handgun lies nearby.
The photo, which was taken by a witness after the fatal confrontation, was released by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, which circled the gun in red.
Police sources have confirmed to NBC Charlotte that the image shows a firearm – a critical point of contention between police and the black man’s family over whether he was armed when Police Officer Brentley Vinson, who also is black, fired at him.
Meanwhile, a third night of protests gave way to quiet streets watched over by the National Guard as a curfew enacted by the city’s mayor ended early Friday.
Mayor Jennifer Roberts signed documents Thursday night to be in effect from midnight until 6 a.m. each day that the state of emergency declared by the governor continues.
The family of the father of seven on Thursday was shown video of the fatal shooting and demanded that police also release it to the public. A lawyer for the family said the footage left them with “more questions than answers.”
So far, police have resisted releasing police dashcam and body camera footage.
Police Chief Kerr Putney said Thursday that releasing that the video could undermine the investigation. He told reporters the video will be made public when he believes there is a “compelling reason” to do so.
“You shouldn’t expect it to be released,” Putney said. “I’m not going to jeopardize the investigation.”
Protests in Charlotte turned violent Wednesday as demonstrators attacked reporters and others, set fires and smashed windows of hotels, office buildings and restaurants in the city’s bustling business district.
Forty-four people were arrested after Wednesday’s protests, and one protester who was shot died at a hospital Thursday.
Officials said police did not shoot the man and that no arrests have been made in 26-year-old Justin Carr’s death.
Police have said Scott was shot to death after he disregarded repeated warnings to drop his gun. Neighbors, though, have said he was holding only a book. The police chief denied that there was a book, saying a gun was found next to the dead man.
Putney said the video does not contain “absolute, definitive evidence that would confirm that a person was pointing a gun.” But he added: “When taken in the totality of all the other evidence, it supports what we said.”
Family attorney Justin Bamberg, who watched the video with the relatives, said Scott is seen getting out of his vehicle calmly.
“While police did give him several commands, he did not aggressively approach them or raise his hands at members of law enforcement at any time. It is impossible to discern from the videos what, if anything, Mr. Scott is holding in his hands,” Bamberg said in a statement.
Scott was shot as he walked slowly backward with his hands by his side, Bamberg said.
The lawyer said that Scott’s wife saw him get shot, “and that’s something she will never, ever forget.”
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