Wife Of Keith Lamont Scott Releases Cell Phone Video Of Charlotte Police Shooting
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- An attorney for the family of the black man shot by Charlotte police says newly released video recorded by the victim's wife does not prove whether the shooting was justified.
Hundreds of peaceful protesters marched in Charlotte Friday evening, hours after the video became public. A demonstration was also held in Atlanta Friday night.
As CBS News' Kenneth Craig reported, Rakeyia Scott pleaded with police not to shoot her husband – Keith Lamont Scott, 43 – as she recorded his final moments. The around 2 1/2-minute video does not show the shooting, though gunshots can be heard.
Rakeyia Scott is heard telling police her husband had a traumatic brain injury, did not have a gun, and posed no threat.
"Don't shoot him! Don't shoot him! He has no weapon! He has no weapon! Don't shoot him!" she is heard saying.
The Scott family attorney released the video, showing officers surrounding Scott in his car. Rakeyia Scott told her husband to obey the officers, who are heard telling him to drop a gun.
At one point, she tells her husband to get out of the car so that police don't break the windows. As the encounter escalates, she tells them repeatedly: "You better not shoot him!"
Warning: Disturbing Video.
Keith Lamont Scott is then seen lying on the ground.
"Did you shoot him? Did you shoot him?" his wife is heard saying.
Attorney Justin Bamberg told The New York Times the video shows "another vantage point'' of the incident.
Bamberg said he hopes Charlotte police release their own videos of the shooting. They've so far refused to do so. Police Chief Kerr Putney says there's at least one video from a body camera and one from a dashboard camera.
The police video could resolve wildly different accounts of the shooting.
Police have said Scott refused repeated commands to drop a gun; residents say he was unarmed. It's unclear from the video shot by Scott's wife whether he had a weapon.
The video's unexpected release came after three nights of violent protests in Charlotte.
Many of those protests were motivated by the community's demand to release body camera and dashcam video of the shooting.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Kerr Putney said Friday that he would not release the videos, which are now in the hands of state investigators.
"I'm not going to put out one piece of evidence that could further inflame, and not tell the full story," Putney said.
CBS News showed the video to resident James Mack. He said it did not make the situation any clearer.
"You really couldn't see what was going on, but I just feel sad for the family," Mack said.
Charlotte police were out in force again Friday night, worried about a possible fourth night of violence.
Keith Lamont Scott's mother had a message for protesters.
"You all can have a peaceful walk or anything else that you all want to do, but rioting is not helping this situation," said Vernita Scott Walker. "It's making it worse."
Another curfew was to be enforced at midnight, and North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory said National Guard troops will remain in Charlotte through the weekend.
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