State Of Emergency Declared In Charlotte Following Violent Protests

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The governor of North Carolina has declared a state of emergency following a second night of violent protests in Charlotte over the fatal police shooting of Keith Lamont Scott on Tuesday

Governor Pat McCrory said: “We cannot tolerate violence. We cannot tolerate the destruction of property and will not tolerate the attacks towards our police officers that are occurring right now, and I feel very strongly about that….that is not the American way.”

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According to the city’s police chief, 9 people were injured and 44 arrested on Wednesday night.

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Mr Scott was the third black man to be killed by US police in the space of a week. The shootings have sparked nationwide protests.

RT reports:

The 44 arrestees are charged with failure to disperse, assault and breaking and entry, Chief Kerr Putney said during a press conference on Thursday morning.

The protests were sparked by the fatal police shooting of Keith Lamont Scott in the North Carolina city on Tuesday. There are conflicting reports of whether he had a gun or a book in his hands. The killing has provoked two nights of riots in the city.

Putney said that the protests started at 6 pm local time as a peaceful demonstration, but later a group moved to Trade Street and another group moved to Interstate 277, shutting down the loop. Protesters started damage property and at about 10:30 pm, Charlotte authorities declared a state of emergency.

Putney also said that video of the shooting will not be released, but it will be shown to the family first. When challenged over his pledge for transparency in handling the case, he told the reporter: “I appreciate your passion, but I never said full transparency.”