Law enforcement authorities in the city of Charlotte, North Carolina are resisting calls for the release of video footage of Tuesday’s police killing of an African American man, but will comply with a request from his family to privately view the footage.
Protesters following Tuesday’s police shooting of Keith Lamont Scott in Charlotte, N.C
“A request has come our way to do just that and we are going to honor that request,” Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Kerr Putney said at a news conference Thursday.
Putney stood firm on his position not to publicly release the footage out of concern it would jeopardize the investigation; but, Putney gave reporters a glimpse into his observations of the footage, saying, “The video does not give me absolute definitive visual evidence that an individual is pointing a gun.”
Charlotte officials say there are no plans to immediately impose a curfew after two nights of violent protests that were triggered by the fatal shooting of 43-year-old Keith Lamont Scott at an apartment complex.
Police said officers were looking for someone else when they saw Scott come out of a car with a gun, and that the officer fired after Scott ignored warnings to drop the weapon.
Scott’s family says he was unarmed, and was instead carrying a book when he was shot. Witnesses said he had his hands in the air.
