Charlotte protests peaceful even beyond curfew hour

A third night of protests over a fatal police shooting in Charlotte gave way to quiet streets early Friday after the city's mayor enacted a curfew and rifle-toting members of the National Guard arrived to guard the city's business district.

The largely peaceful Thursday night demonstrations called on police to release video that could resolve wildly different accounts of the shooting this week of a black man.

The family of Keith Lamont Scott, 43, was shown the footage Thursday of his fatal shooting and demanded that police release it to the public.

Demonstrators chanted "release the tape" and "we want the tape" Thursday while briefly blocking an intersection near Bank of America headquarters and later climbing the steps to the door of the city government centre. Later, several dozen demonstrators walked onto an interstate highway through the city, but they were pushed back by police in riot gear.

Charlotte Mayor Jennifer Roberts signed documents Thursday night for the citywide curfew that runs from midnight to 6 a.m. After the curfew took effect, police allowed the crowd of demonstrators to thin without forcing them off the street. Police Capt. Mike Campagna told reporters that officers would not seek to arrest curfew violators as long as they were peaceful.

In an interview with CNN, Roberts said she thought the curfew was the most effective way to maintain peace in the city.

Forty-four people were arrested during the previous night's protests, and one protester who was shot died at the hospital Thursday; city officials said police did not shoot the man and no arrests have been made in 26-year-old Justin Carr's death.

Violent protests continue in North Carolina

8 years ago

Duration 1:14

Police in riot gear fire tear gas; some arrests made

Chief doesn't foresee video's release

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Kerr Putney said earlier in the day that releasing the footage of Scott's killing could undermine the investigation. He told reporters the video will be made public when he believes there is a "compelling reason" to do so.

"You shouldn't expect it to be released," Putney said. "I'm not going to jeopardize the investigation."

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Police have said that Scott was shot to death Tuesday by a black officer after he disregarded loud, repeated warnings to drop his gun. Neighbours, though, have said he was holding only a book. The police chief said a gun was found next to the dead man, and there was no book.

Putney said that he has seen the video and it does not contain "absolute, definitive evidence that would confirm that a person was pointing a gun." But he added: "When taken in the totality of all the other evidence, it supports what we said."

Justin Bamberg, an attorney for Scott's family, watched the video with the slain man's relatives. He said Scott gets out of his vehicle calmly.

"While police did give him several commands, he did not aggressively approach them or raise his hands at members of law enforcement at any time. It is impossible to discern from the videos what, if anything, Mr. Scott is holding in his hands," Bamberg said in a statement.

Scott was shot as he walked slowly backward with his hands by his side, Bamberg said.

The lawyer said at a news conference earlier in the day that Scott's wife saw him get shot, "and that's something she will never, ever forget." That is the first time anyone connected with the case has said the wife witnessed the shooting. Bamberg gave no details on what the wife saw.

'It is ambiguous,' mayor says of video

Roberts, who also watched the footage of the shooting, was asked by CNN whether she saw Scott holding a gun.

"It is not a very clear picture and the gun in question is a small gun. And it was not easy to see ... so it is ambiguous," she replied.

Experts who track shootings by police noted that the release of videos can often quell protest violence, and that the footage sometimes shows that events unfolded differently than the official account.

"What we've seen in too many situations now is that the videos tell the truth and the police who were involved in the shooting tell lies," said Randolph McLaughlin, a professor at Pace University School of Law. He said it is "irresponsible" of police not to release the video immediately.

Other cities have released footage of police shootings. Just this week, Tulsa police let the public see video of the disputed Sept. 16 shooting, though the footage left important questions unanswered.

In Tulsa, Okla., on Thursday, prosecutors charged a white officer with manslaughter for killing an unarmed black man on a city street last week.