The Charlotte Police Department released footage of the tragic shooting that resulted in the death of Keith Scott. The #blacklivesmatter movement was out in force after the Charlotte shooting and witnesses as well as Scott’s widow all claimed that there was no reason for police to open fire. This is just one of many fatal shootings with the police that could have been prevented.
According to the Charlotte Police Department, they were searching the area for another criminal which they had a warrant for. They saw Keith Scott and thought he was making threatening movements as he was getting out of a car. An African-American police officer saw what he thought was Scott reaching for a firearm and opened fire with 4 consecutive shots. This resulted in the tragic loss of Keith Scott’s life. His widow claims that he did not have a firearm on him and continuously yelled that he has no weapon and begged police not to shoot him.
The video footage is considered ambiguous at best. The widow tells officers that he is unarmed and that he was on medication. Scott was disabled since last year after a near death motorcycle accident. Someone, it’s not clear who, continuously says “drop the gun” which could have contributed to the confusion of the moment.
Accounts varied depending on who you ask. The police department stands by the account of Officer Vinson who was at the scene. Office Vinson saw that Scott was rolling a joint in his car and had a visible firearm. The officer asked him to drop his gun while another officer attempted to break the car window with a baton. Scott exited the vehicle as police continued to order him to drop his weapon. “Officer Vinson perceived Mr. Scott’s actions and movements as an imminent physical threat to himself and the other officers,” police said. That’s when police began shooting.
Protests have been going on for a week with some protests getting violent. One of the bigger protests was a demonstration on Saturday afternoon where a diverse crowd of 200 to 300 people marched from Marshall Park after a short rally. This high tension between the ethnic community is only growing due to this incident and the #blacklivesmatter movement only grows stronger.
This is footage released by the Charlotte Police Department. WARNING: MAY BE UNSUITABLE FOR YOUNGER AUDIENCES
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