Charlotte police release video of shooting but doubts remain

This image made from video provided by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department shows Keith Scott on the ground as police approach him in Charlotte, N.C., on Sept. 20, 2016. (Associated Press Photo)
This image made from video provided by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department shows Keith Scott on the ground as police approach him in Charlotte, N.C., on Sept. 20, 2016. (Associated Press Photo)

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) _ Nightly protests have shaken the city of Charlotte since the shooting death of a Black man by police last week, but Sunday’s NFL game between the Carolina Panthers and the Minnesota Vikings managed to open without interruption.
A group of around 100 demonstrators gathered across the street from Bank of America Stadium to keep up the pressure in the aftermath of the death of Keith Lamont Scott. The 43-year-old man was shot and killed Tuesday after a confrontation with Charlotte police. Five nights of protests followed, two of them violent.
On Sunday, protesters led by a man with a bullhorn across the street from Bank of America Stadium were surrounded by at least two dozen police officers on bicycles. Their message competed with the noise of fans streaming toward the stadium and an impromptu jazz band playing tunes less than a block away.
TAKING A KNEE--Demonstrators take a knee during the national anthem outside Bank of America Stadium before an NFL football game between the Charlotte Panthers and the Minnesota Vikings September 25, 2016 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Sean Rayford / Getty Images)
TAKING A KNEE–Demonstrators take a knee during the national anthem outside Bank of America Stadium before an NFL football game between the Charlotte Panthers and the Minnesota Vikings September 25, 2016 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Sean Rayford / Getty Images)

When the national anthem was played, the protesters all dropped to one knee as many NFL players have been doing for weeks to call attention to issues, including police shootings. Inside the stadium, Carolina safety Marcus Ball raised his fist during the anthem.
Video footage released Saturday by police of the incident hasn’t settled questions about whether Scott threatened authorities with a gun before he was felled by a Black officer. Police Chief Kerr Putney said Saturday that Scott was “absolutely in possession of a handgun,” adding that, while officers didn’t break the law, the State Bureau of Investigation continues to pursue the case.

While police say Scott had a gun, residents contend he was unarmed. It’s not apparent in the video if he’s holding anything shortly before he was shot. The dramatic video released by Charlotte police shows officers with guns drawn surrounding the man just before the shooting.
Police also released photos on Saturday of what they said was a loaded handgun found at the scene, adding it bore Scott’s DNA and fingerprints. They also said Scott had marijuana.
In the police vehicle dashboard camera video released Saturday night, Scott could be seen slowly backing away from his SUV with his hands down. Four shots are heard in quick succession, and he crumples to the ground mortally wounded.
Police also released photos on Saturday of what they said was a loaded handgun found at the scene, adding it bore Scott’s DNA and fingerprints. They also said Scott had marijuana.
After the dashboard camera and police body-cam videos were released, a fifth day of protests against Scott’s fatal shooting was largely peaceful. Police blocked off downtown streets late into the night as they had throughout the day, allowing demonstrators to take over roadways without confrontations with vehicles.
MY LIFE MATTERS--A protester raises her fist as she marches in the streets of Charlotte, N.C., Friday, Sept. 23, 2016, over Tuesday's fatal police shooting of Keith Lamont Scott. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)
MY LIFE MATTERS–A protester raises her fist as she marches in the streets of Charlotte, N.C., Friday, Sept. 23, 2016, over Tuesday’s fatal police shooting of Keith Lamont Scott. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

Away from the marching, others are speaking out about the videos. Reda Burch, one of the dozens of people who stopped by a makeshift memorial near the site where Scott died, said she has watched the police videos and doesn’t think Scott was threatening officers or that the shooting was justified.
[pullquote]“His hands never left his side,” Burch said Sunday afternoon. “So no, I don’t see a reason to kill him. I mean, if they needed to wound him in the leg, that would be been acceptable to get him down. … Why weren’t the Tasers deployed?”[/pullquote]
Relatives and their attorney have also said their questions aren’t answered by the release of partial police video footage.
“There is no definitive evidence in this video as to whether or not there is an object in his hand, and if there is, what that object is,” Justin Bamberg, an attorney for Scott’s family, said Saturday. “But what we do know is that the moment Mr. Scott is shot, it appears as though he’s not aggressively moving toward law enforcement; he’s actually doing the opposite. He’s passively stepping back.”
Ray Dotch, Scott’s brother-in-law, said some reporters had been looking into Scott’s background but added that background shouldn’t matter.
“What we know and what you should know about him is that he was an American citizen who deserved better,” he said.
Charlotte has been on edge ever since Scott’s death. The demonstrations reached a violent crescendo Wednesday before the National Guard was called in a day later to maintain order. Forty-four people were arrested after Wednesday’s protests, and one protester who was shot died at a hospital Thursday. City officials said police did not shoot 26-year-old Justin Carr, and a suspect was arrested.
The next two nights of protests were free of property damage and violence, with organizers stressing a message of peace at the end of the week.
Charlotte is the latest U.S. 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.

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