This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-37448991

The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 1 Version 2
Charlotte shooting sparks days of protests over police violence Charlotte police under mounting pressure to release video
(about 4 hours later)
A third night of protests has rocked the city of Charlotte, North Carolina, after a black man was shot dead by a black police officer on Tuesday. Police in Charlotte, North Carolina, are under mounting pressure to release video from a fatal shooting.
Thursday's protest was largely peaceful after violence a day earlier during which one person was fatally shot. Family members of Keith Lamont Scott, an African-American man who was shot by a black officer, were allowed to watch the footage on Thursday.
Keith Lamont Scott's family dispute police allegations he was armed and want video recording to be released. Their lawyers say they want the video to be made public because it raises "more questions than answers".
Excessive police force used against black men has been the subject of protests for two years across the US. He was the 214th black person killed by US police this year out of a total of 821, says Mapping Police Violence.
Easing tensions Critics have accused Charlotte authorities of a lack of transparency, compared with the swift action taken after a police shooting in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where a white officer has been charged.
On Tuesday, Mr Scott was killed in Charlotte after police say he refused to drop a gun he was carrying. His family say he was unarmed and holding a book. Charlotte Mayor Jennifer Roberts told a news conference on Friday: "I do believe the video should be released - the question is on the timing."
Police have released a video of the shooting to the family, but have refused to make it public. City Police Chief Kerr Putney agreed, but said the video by itself does not provide sufficient evidence of probable cause for the shooting.
The family's lawyer, Justin Bamberg, said no gun was visible in the video and Mr Scott appeared to be "acting calm". Releasing it without "context" could inflame the situation, he added.
"You do see something in his hand, but it's impossible to make out from the video what it is." The Charlotte Observer and the New York Times have joined calls for the footage to be made public.
Police chief Kerr Putney said the video proved the shooting was justified, telling Fox news: "The officer perceived his failure to comply with commands, failure to drop the weapon and facing the officers as an imminent threat." "There is no legal reason to withhold the video from the public, and in this fraught situation, the best way to allay the community's distrust is complete transparency," the New York daily wrote.
On Thursday, demonstrators protesting against Mr Scott's death defied a curfew put into force by the city's mayor on Thursday - running from midnight to 06:00. Charlotte protesters defied a midnight curfew early on Friday, taking to the city streets for a third straight night.
According to Cpt Mike Campagna, officers did not enforce the curfew as protests were largely peaceful, with some on the street singing gospel songs. Hundreds marched to the police station carrying signs saying "Stop killing us" and "Resistance is beautiful".
However Charlotte police reported two officers were injured. Security forces took a hands-off approach and the demonstration was much calmer than the previous two nights, when rioters looted businesses and threw objects at police.
Hundreds of National Guard troops were deployed on the streets to protect the city against further violence and property damage. Several hundred National Guard troops were deployed to keep order, a day after North Carolina's governor declared a state of emergency in Charlotte.
It followed Wednesday's protest during which protesters smashed windows of hotels and restaurants, set fires, and attacked reporters. Meanwhile, police said a suspect had been arrested in Wednesday's fatal shooting of protester in Charlotte.
Tulsa: 'Unreasonable' force Mr Scott was fatally shot in an apartment complex car park on Tuesday by police who were searching for another person wanted for arrest.
Peaceful demonstrations took place in the aftermath of last week's shooting in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Conflicting accounts of his death - police say he was armed with a handgun, but his family says he was holding a book - have fanned protesters' distrust of the police.
On Thursday, officer Betty Shelby was charged with manslaughter for shooting an unarmed man. Justin Bamberg, one of the lawyers representing the family, said the video shows Mr Scott did not make any aggressive moves towards police.
Prosecutors said her decision to shoot Terence Crutcher was "unreasonable". He said Mr Scott was moving slowly as he got out of the car because he suffered head trauma in a bad car accident a year ago.
Video of the incident shows Mr Crutcher with his hands up, leaning against the car. Police Chief Putney said a handgun was recovered at the scene, and that no book was found, contrary to the family's assertion.
Officer Shelby said Mr Crutcher had not followed her commands and she had opened fire when he began to reach into his car window. He said all the evidence together indicates the officer identified as having shot Mr Scott - Brentley Vinson, who is also black - was justified.
As well as being shot, Mr Crutcher was also struck with a stun gun by another officer. The troubles in Charlotte reverberated on the US presidential campaign trail, with Republican candidate Donald Trump blaming inner-city drug use.
Ms Shelby's lawyer, Scott Wood, has said she believed Mr Crutcher was under the influence of the synthetic drug PCP. A vial of the drug was found in the car. "Drugs are a very, very big factor in what you're watching on television at night," he said in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
His family have disputed Ms Shelby's claim, arguing that his window was closed at the time of the incident. Democrat Hillary Clinton discussed the unrest in calls to the Charlotte mayor, her campaign said.
Police have said no gun was found on Mr Crutcher or inside his vehicle. "Too many black Americans have lost their lives and too many feel that their lives are disposable," the campaign cited her as saying.
The US justice department has also opened a separate investigation to see if Mr Crutcher's civil rights were violated. Meanwhile, a member of the US Congress from North Carolina apologised after telling the BBC he believed that the protesters hated white people.
If convicted, Ms Shelby faces a minimum of four years in prison.
After the charge, a small group of demonstrators gathered to demand a harsher sentence.
Violence 'from drugs'
Just four days before the first presidential debate, Republican Donald Trump said the violence from the Charlotte protests was largely due to drugs.
"If you're not aware, drugs are a very, very big factor in what you're watching on television at night," he said.
Democratic vice-presidential candidate Tim Kaine said the list of black men fatally shot by police had "grown too long" and the country needed to confront the issue of racial tensions.
Republican Congressman Robert Pittenger, of North Carolina, told the BBC the protesters hated white people because white people were successful, but he later apologised for his comments in an interview with CNN.
More on this storyMore on this story
Has anything changed since Ferguson?Has anything changed since Ferguson?
Why America remains segregatedWhy America remains segregated