Tag Archives: keith-scott

The killing of an allegedly unarmed African-American at the hands of a white police officer has led to a state of emergency in North Carolina. Keith Lamont Scott Shooting Leads to Charlotte Protests, Riots Governor Pat McCrory made this declaration on Thursday morning after protests and riots in the streets of Charlotte turned especially ugly and violent. The National Guard and State Highway Patrol were dispatched to the area after Keith Scott, a 43-year old black man, was shot and killed by officers on Tuesday. According to police, he refused to drop his handgun prior to the fatal incident. According to family members and a witness, Scott was holding a book, not a weapon. This sort of controversial shooting has become all too common across the nation, of course, with Terence Crutcher also being shot and killed in Tulsa this week. Multiple videos of Crutcher’s death have gone public, with neither making it appear as if the 40-year old deserved to be shot: Terence Crutcher: Shot and Killed by Police Terence Crutcher Helicopter Video: What Happened? In response to Scott’s shooting, a peaceful really turned violent yesterday when civilians threw rocks and bottles at police officers. They also broke into Charlotte storefronts and smashed windows along the way. Officers defended themselves with rubber bullets, tear gas, flash-bang grenades and pepper spray. One protester was shot and four police officers suffered non-life threatening injuries, city officials confirmed on Twitter. Wednesday marked the second straight night of unrest in North Carolina’s largest city, following numerous protesters and 16 officers being injured on Tuesday evening. As reported above, the turmoil prompted Governor McCrory to declare a state of emergency in an attempt to restore peace. “Any violence directed toward our citizens or police officers or destruction of property should not be tolerated,” McCrory said in a statement. Bank of America, which is based out of Charlotte, told its employees not to report to work in their uptown offices, while Mayor Jennifer Roberts is considering a city-wide curfew. There have also been protests in Tulsa in response to the Crutcher shooting, although these have remained more calm and civil. The White House has reported that President Barack Obama spoke by telephone on Wednesday with the mayors of Charlotte and Tulsa. Elsewhere, The American Civil Liberties Union is urging police officer to release their camera footage of the Keith Law incident. Roberts said she planned to view the footage on Thursday, yet did not indicate when (or if ) it would be made public. “We call for the full release of all facts available,” said William Barber, president of the state’s chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, in a statement. Earlier in the night, Scott’s wife, Rakeyia, issued her own statement, describing her family as “devastated” and appealing for peace in the city. “We have more questions than answers about Keith’s death,” she said.

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Keith Scott Shooting Leads to Violent Protests in Charlotte