In Charlotte, NC; Keith Scott, a disabled man, was shot and killed by Charlotte police officer Brentley Vinson, today around 4pm EDT. The police were looking for someone that had a current warrant when Mr. Scott supposedly went inside a car and came back with a weapon. Officers then responded with deadly force. Some bystanders do not agree with the police’s account of the story. They say that the item was not a gun but a book:
It was a book.#itwasabook #itwasabook #itwasabook #itwasabook#itwasabook #itwasabook #itwasabook #itwasabookhttps://t.co/nyjxxYO2Q8
” Jeff Chang (@zentronix) September 21, 2016
Here’s the man’s sister. She says he did not have a gun. @CMPD says he did. @WBTV_News pic.twitter.com/JwHMixy9m7
” Sarah-Blake Morgan (@SarahBlakeWBTV) September 20, 2016
The community immediately started to protest this shooting and demonstrators gathered to express their feelings about the incident. CNN shows the protesters as they rally:
Demonstrators gather following fatal police shooting in Charlotte, North Carolina https://t.co/oZz0jUmo8i https://t.co/PQqGXAxC3a
” CNN (@CNN) September 21, 2016
The crowd of demonstrators eventually riots and the police are led away from the scene:
BREAKING NEWS from Charlotte, NC:
People on Twitter are reporting that protestors have begun battling and… https://t.co/sqrDnb7Wox” Real Progressives (@RealProgressUS) September 21, 2016
#BitchCantWalk [BREAKING] Police Cruiser surrounded by Rioters in Charlotte, NC! Protest over a Police shooting! https://t.co/NsSxsfi023 #”
” marissa (@Fb1Marissa) September 21, 2016
Demonstrators Smash Windows, Burglarize Police Car; Most All Reporters Have Fled Scene https://t.co/vLiguejOd8 pic.twitter.com/ilnYtmmPf6
” Boo (@P4tR10tBoo) September 21, 2016
Update: The wife of Scott took a cell phone video of what happened. It appears that one police officer tried to plant a gun at the scene:
#KeithScott Here’s the footage and you can clearly see the cops planting evidence. Wow and its from the wife’s cellphone!!! #pvlsemedia pic.twitter.com/olyVIMbH7N
” The Mechanical Eye (@OlBlacAzzBlu) September 23, 2016
Another update: two separate eyewitnesses state that Scott had no gun and that the real shooter was a white police officer:
An eyewitness to the shooting death of #KeithLamontScott in #Charlotte NC says the officer who shot Scott was white and he only had a book. pic.twitter.com/q2BpBTZSeN
” THE RAPFEST™ (@TheRapFest) September 22, 2016
Real Progressives will report more on this breaking story as more information is brought forth.