Charlotte Protest Update: Violence Continues After State Of Emergency Is Declared [VIDEO]
The anti-police protest in Charlotte, which resulted from the fatal police shooting of Keith Lamont Scott on Tuesday, has taken a nasty turn, causing the mayor to call a State of Emergency practically overnight. As the city erupted in chaos, the statements of the police department did little to placate the rage of protesters.
One thing that might definitely make a difference in the case was the body cam footage of one of the officers involved in the incident. While the officer pulled the trigger on Scott was not wearing a camera, another officer in the scene was.
However, the police department has so far refused to release the footage of the incident, citing privacy reasons. Unsurprisingly, this did not sit well with the protesters, as it seemed like the police had something very big to hide.
With the city embroiled in chaos and a state of emergency being declared, Charlotte Mayor Jennifer Roberts gave a statement to The Washington Post about the deadly incident, which has resulted in numerous injuries so far. According to Roberts, she has already requested the police for permission to view the footage.
"I've asked to see it. I'd like to invite some folks like the chair of NAACP to see it with me. I don't know what's in it. I don't know how complete it is. There may be gaps including where other officers were. Until I see it, I don't know whether it could help," she said.
The primary point of debate in the deadly incident involved the item that Scott was holding prior to him getting shot. While police officers asserted that he was holding a gun and that he posed an immediate danger to the police, Scott's family stated that he did not even have a gun when the was shot.
In fact, his family was firm in the notion that Scott was carrying a book when he was shot. Nevertheless, Roberts is optimistic that the footage will clear up a number of factors about the incident.
"A book doesn't look anything like a gun. I think the community wants to see the gun and have the integrity of seeing that evidence because the stories right now are so different. And if we need outside investigation, we would be open to that. From state investigators or federal investigators, we could request that as well," he said.
