Protester Shot During Second Night Of Violent Protests In Charlotte

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officers begin to move protesters down a street in Charlotte, N.C., Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2016. Authorities in Charlotte tried to quell public anger Wednesday after a police officer shot ... Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officers begin to move protesters down a street in Charlotte, N.C., Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2016. Authorities in Charlotte tried to quell public anger Wednesday after a police officer shot a black man, but a dusk prayer vigil turned into a second night of violence, with police firing tear gas at angry protesters and a man being critically wounded by gunfire. North Carolina's governor declared a state of emergency in the city. (Jeff Siner/The Charlotte Observer via AP) MORE LESS
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A protester is in critical condition after being shot during another night of violent protests in Charlotte, North Carolina, over the fatal police shooting of a black man, Keith Lamont Scott.

The city of Charlotte initially reported in a tweet that the protester was fatally shot, but the individual is in critical condition. The protester was reportedly shot by another civilian, according to CNN and NBC News.

For the second night in the row, protesters gathered in Charlotte, outraged over the police shooting of Scott. Police say that Scott was armed with a handgun and that he was given warnings to drop his weapon before he was shot by police. Scott’s family has said that he was unarmed and holding a book.

The protests were peaceful when they began, but turned violent after 8 p.m. as protesters marched to downtown Charlotte. Police fired rubber bullets and tear gas into the crowd, and protesters threw bottles and rocks, according to ABC News. Protesters smashed windows of cars and local businesses and some looting occurred, according to reports by CNN, ABC News, and Charlotte television station WSOC.

At one point, a protester knocked over a CNN reporter. CNN’s Ed Lavandara said that the protester later apologized for knocking him to the ground.

North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory (R) declared a state of emergency on Wednesday night and called in the National Guard.

“Upon a recent request of Chief Putney, the National Guard and State Highway Patrol are sending in resources to further help the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department,” McCrory said in a statement. “Any violence directed toward our citizens or police officers or destruction of property should not be tolerated. I support and commend the law enforcement officials for their bravery and courage during this difficult situation.”

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  1. What would the protesters do if the police didn’t form a wall and push them somewhere? I just really don’t understand by what pushes things to this point?

    Edit: Interesting reading comments under a Huffpost story on this with a lot of folks asking what MLK Jr. would say about the violence and someone posted what he did say;

    “It is not enough for me to stand before you tonight and condemn riots. It would be morally irresponsible for me to do that without, at the same time, condemning the contingent, intolerable conditions that exist in our society. These conditions are the things that cause individuals to feel that they have no other alternative than to engage in violent rebellions to get attention. And I must say tonight that a riot is the language of the unheard.”~~ MLK

    And my big question here was if the police quit forming walls and pushing folks would that help reduce the people need to resort to violence?

  2. This may come from the crap that the N.C. has been legislating for the last four years, it may be that Mr. Scott being shot is the last straw that these people can not carry, it may be that what we are seeing is the same frustration that turns working class white voters to Trump is awakening the fear of the police, the denial of voting rights, the stagnate wages for working class people, and the second in two days reports of a black man being shot by police, 1 on OK and the Mr. Scott in NC.

  3. The week (so far) in police shootings:

    Dylann Roof wasn’t able to start a race war, but the police can.

  4. McCrory just proved the protesters complaint - he essentially said that the protester’s are neither citizens or police.

  5. At one point, a protester knocked over a CNN reporter. CNN’s Ed Lavandara said that the protester later apologized for knocking him to the ground.

    Sorry. This is serious, but I had to laugh. That’s so North Carolina.

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