Prosecutor Asks State To Probe Charlotte Police Shooting
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- The chief state prosecutor in Charlotte is asking the State Bureau of Investigation to look into the shooting of a man killed by a police officer earlier this week.
District Attorney R. Andrew Murray said in a statement Thursday that he was making the request for a state investigation at the request of the family of 43-year-old Keith Lamont Scott.
Charlotte Police Chief Kerr Putney said he plans to show video of the shooting to the slain man's family, but the video won't be immediately released to the public.
He also said during a news conference Thursday that the video does not definitively show Scott pointing a gun at anyone, though police maintain Scott refused commands to drop the weapon.
Scott's family watched the two videos and could not say what was in his hands when he was killed, according to a report by CNN late Thursday.
"It is impossible to discern from the videos what, if anything, Mr. Scott is holding in his hands," attorney Justin Bamberg was quoted by CNN.
The family of Keith Lamont Scott, after watching two police videos of the shooting by a Charlotte police officer, said they couldn't say what was in his hands when he was killed. "It is impossible to discern from the videos what, if anything, Mr. Scott is holding in his hands," attorney Justin Bamberg was quoted by CNN.
The family said the video showed Scott being calm and non-aggressive, slowly walking backward with his hands at his side, Bamberg told CNN.
North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory declared a state of emergency Wednesday as protests spiraled into violence for the second straight night in Charlotte.
Protesters smashed windows and looted businesses. One person in the crowd was shot and is now in critical condition.
PHOTOS: Violence Erupts In Charlotte For Second Night In Row
Several reporters and people on the street were attacked as police in riot gear linked arms, marched down streets and fired tear gas. Four police officers were injured during the protests.
The violence prompted several major companies with offices in downtown Charlotte, including Bank of America and Wells Fargo, to tell employees to stay home and avoid the area.
Fueling the unrest are the different narratives of what happened leading up to Scott's death Tuesday.
"I want people to know that we will make sure that our investigation is thorough and transparent," Charlotte Mayor Jennifer Roberts said.
The police chief said Wednesday that officers were serving arrest warrants on another person when they saw Scott get out of a vehicle with a handgun.
A black plainclothes officer in a vest emblazoned "Police" shot Scott after the officer and other uniformed members made "loud, clear" demands that he drop the gun, the chief said.
But neighbors and his family say he only had a book.
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