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| Charlotte activists speak out against police after Keith Scott decision Charlotte activists speak out against police after Keith Scott decision | |
| (about 9 hours later) | |
| A prosecutor’s decision to clear a Charlotte police officer in the killing of a black man left some African American community leaders saying that while the shooting may have been legal, it wasn’t right. | A prosecutor’s decision to clear a Charlotte police officer in the killing of a black man left some African American community leaders saying that while the shooting may have been legal, it wasn’t right. |
| Many of them called on Charlotte police to change their policies to encourage officers to use non-deadly force, improve their negotiating skills and train them to work on de-escalating confrontations before they turn deadly. | Many of them called on Charlotte police to change their policies to encourage officers to use non-deadly force, improve their negotiating skills and train them to work on de-escalating confrontations before they turn deadly. |
| “People of color are being shot in situations, many times, where persons who are non-black, doing some of the same things, or worse, are not shot. That is deeply concerning. Criminal activity does not automatically legitimize assassination or death on the spot,” said the Rev William Barber, president of the North Carolina chapter of the NAACP. | “People of color are being shot in situations, many times, where persons who are non-black, doing some of the same things, or worse, are not shot. That is deeply concerning. Criminal activity does not automatically legitimize assassination or death on the spot,” said the Rev William Barber, president of the North Carolina chapter of the NAACP. |
| Barber and others called for a full federal investigation into the shooting of Keith Scott by Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer Brentley Vinson in the parking lot of his apartment complex in September. And Scott’s family said they would conduct their own investigation now that the state bureau of investigation’s evidence in the case has been released. | Barber and others called for a full federal investigation into the shooting of Keith Scott by Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer Brentley Vinson in the parking lot of his apartment complex in September. And Scott’s family said they would conduct their own investigation now that the state bureau of investigation’s evidence in the case has been released. |
| Scott family attorney Justin Bamberg said he understood why the district attorney decided not to file charges. “That does not mean that this officer’s killing of Keith Scott was right. All that means is that under the view of the DA’s office, it wasn’t criminal. And those are two completely different things,” Bamberg said. | Scott family attorney Justin Bamberg said he understood why the district attorney decided not to file charges. “That does not mean that this officer’s killing of Keith Scott was right. All that means is that under the view of the DA’s office, it wasn’t criminal. And those are two completely different things,” Bamberg said. |
| Charlotte police released a statement saying they had invited the independent, Washington-based Police Foundation to review the department’s policies, would ask a judge to release body camera footage on any incident where someone is seriously hurt or killed by an officer as soon as prosecutors allow it and were asking for expanded power for its citizen review panel. | Charlotte police released a statement saying they had invited the independent, Washington-based Police Foundation to review the department’s policies, would ask a judge to release body camera footage on any incident where someone is seriously hurt or killed by an officer as soon as prosecutors allow it and were asking for expanded power for its citizen review panel. |
| Charlotte-Mecklenburg district attorney Andrew Murray welcomed a long, hard look at the evidence. He gave reporters a 40-minute presentation on Wednesday, then released his report online. | Charlotte-Mecklenburg district attorney Andrew Murray welcomed a long, hard look at the evidence. He gave reporters a 40-minute presentation on Wednesday, then released his report online. |
| Several dozen protesters gathered on Wednesday night at Charlotte police headquarters, saying Murray’s report was a cover-up to protect white officers who actually shot Scott. They remained calm, unlike the two days of protests in North Carolina’s largest city after the shooting. Protests over Scott’s death led to more than 100 arrests, two dozen injuries and one death. | Several dozen protesters gathered on Wednesday night at Charlotte police headquarters, saying Murray’s report was a cover-up to protect white officers who actually shot Scott. They remained calm, unlike the two days of protests in North Carolina’s largest city after the shooting. Protests over Scott’s death led to more than 100 arrests, two dozen injuries and one death. |
| Murray said at a press conference on Wednesday that Officer Vinson’s shooting of Scott in September was justified because Scott refused to drop a gun held at his side. | Murray said at a press conference on Wednesday that Officer Vinson’s shooting of Scott in September was justified because Scott refused to drop a gun held at his side. |
| “It is my opinion that officer Vinson acted lawfully when he shot Mr Scott,” Murray said. “He acted lawfully.” | “It is my opinion that officer Vinson acted lawfully when he shot Mr Scott,” Murray said. “He acted lawfully.” |
| Scott, 43, never raised or pointed the gun, according to the prosecutor, but Vinson felt he posed an imminent threat because he ignored orders to drop it and stared at them in a “trance-like state”. | Scott, 43, never raised or pointed the gun, according to the prosecutor, but Vinson felt he posed an imminent threat because he ignored orders to drop it and stared at them in a “trance-like state”. |
| Scott’s wife Rakeyia, who filmed some of his confrontation with police and the aftermath, insisted that he was not armed when he was killed. | Scott’s wife Rakeyia, who filmed some of his confrontation with police and the aftermath, insisted that he was not armed when he was killed. |
| Authorities said police were waiting to serve an arrest warrant on someone else and noticed Scott had a marijuana “blunt” as he sat in his SUV in the parking lot outside his home. | Authorities said police were waiting to serve an arrest warrant on someone else and noticed Scott had a marijuana “blunt” as he sat in his SUV in the parking lot outside his home. |
| The officers were prepared to ignore the drugs until Vinson saw that Scott was also holding a gun, Murray said. The officers, who were in plainclothes and tactical police vests, advanced on his vehicle and ordered Scott to get out. | The officers were prepared to ignore the drugs until Vinson saw that Scott was also holding a gun, Murray said. The officers, who were in plainclothes and tactical police vests, advanced on his vehicle and ordered Scott to get out. |
| Video evidence released after the shooting showed Scott stepping out into the parking lot, but did not make clear whether he was holding a gun, which he had been carrying earlier in a holster around one of his ankles. | Video evidence released after the shooting showed Scott stepping out into the parking lot, but did not make clear whether he was holding a gun, which he had been carrying earlier in a holster around one of his ankles. |
| But all of the police officers at the scene said that Scott was indeed holding the weapon, according to Murray, who said the gun was recovered and found to be loaded and bearing Scott’s DNA. | But all of the police officers at the scene said that Scott was indeed holding the weapon, according to Murray, who said the gun was recovered and found to be loaded and bearing Scott’s DNA. |
| The Associated Press contributed to this report | The Associated Press contributed to this report |