Charlotte, North Carolina protests escalated and became more violent on Wednesday, prompting the governor to declare a state of emergency.
One protester was shot in what police say was protester-on protester violence. The protester was originally reported to have been killed by the gunshot, but it was later corrected to say that the protester is in critical condition. Several other people were injured, including four police officers, according to police. Police officers fired tear gas into the crowds to try to calm the situation.
Gov. Pat McCrory declared a state of emergency on Wednesday night and called in the National Guard and the Highway Patrol to Charlotte.
The protests followed the death of a black man, 43 year-old Keith Lamont Scott, who was shot and killed by a black police officer on Tuesday in Charlotte. Police said that Scott was armed and failed to drop his weapon before getting shot and killed. His family said that he was simply holding a book despite police saying that no book was recovered at the scene, but there was a handgun.
Police Chief Kerr Putney said that the officer who shot Scott, Brentley Vinson, was not wearing a body camera at the time but the other three officers on scene were wearing them. Officials said they don’t plan on releasing any of the footage to the public at the moment. Investigators are reviewing the footage.
The protests of his death were originally peaceful, which is what Scott’s family appealed for, but that quickly changed and the protests became violent. Rocks were hurled at police officers and contents left in trash cans were set on fire. Local media reported that the Charlotte Hornets store was looted.
State of emergency declared, governor calls in state National Guard for Charlotte protests https://t.co/pB42lW3j8D pic.twitter.com/zkwYmclwMz
— CNN (@CNN) September 22, 2016
Scenes from an intense moment during overnight protests in Charlotte, North Carolina https://t.co/0pW566M2Sh https://t.co/hgao0uTFC1
— CNN (@CNN) September 22, 2016
Concussion grenade blasts could be heard and reporters were told by some to leave the area. One CNN reporter was knocked down while he was on air.
CNN reporter @edlavaCNN knocked to the ground after violence for a second night in Charlotte https://t.co/p255yRbq31 pic.twitter.com/DV4ANkeXkx
— CNN (@CNN) September 22, 2016
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