North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory has declared a state of emergency following another night of protests sparked by the death of a local African-American man by police.
The circumstances surrounding the shooting death of Keith Lamont Scott have been disputed by police and his family. Both agree that Scott was sitting in his car moments before officers came to his apartment complex, looking for someone else. Police say he got out of his car with a gun and would not put it down, but his family says he was reading a book at the time. The officer, who is also black, was wearing street clothes with a police vest at the time of the shooting. According to reports, there is dashcam footage of the shooting, though it has not been made public.
During last night’s demonstrations, the second night of protests in the city, at least one person was shot (they are currently on life support), and several more people, including at least 16 police officers, were injured.
Protest began peacefully, though some demonstrations turned violent, as several stores and downtown buildings were vandalized and looted, and protestors clashed with police, who used tear gas on crowds. Charlotte’s mayor has said she is considering instituting a curfew.
