The mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina, is telling residents that while it's "okay to be frustrated and angry," they must "express their opinions" in a nonviolent way.
In an interview with MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell, Mayor Jennifer Roberts discussed the protests that are going on in the city following the fatal officer-involved shooting of Keith Lamont Scott, a 43-year-old black man. Charlotte, she said, is a "peaceful community," and she wants "folks to remember that that is who we are. I look at the protests when they turn violent, and that's not who we are. I'm calling for calm, calling for peace, telling people to stay home or protest peacefully. We had two peaceful protests in other areas of the city."
O'Donnell asked Roberts if the police might consider releasing the body-cam footage worn by the officers, something that protesters have been demanding. Roberts said that because it is an active, ongoing investigation, the police will "not release pieces of evidence. We want to have the full picture in place so that we know the whole story of the incident that took place yesterday. They are still gathering accounts from witnesses, also possible cellphone videos from other angles." Roberts said she will ask the police chief if Scott's family can have access to the footage.
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She also told O'Donnell that she has been to many meetings with Black Lives Matter and the NAACP to discuss "real disparities that exist, challenges we have, in equity in education or job opportunities or transportation or housing. I would like anyone who is upset about the perception that we do have racial divide in areas of our society here in Charlotte, that we have heard them, we are listening, we understand the frustration. We are working very hard on multiple levels to decrease that disparity, to make sure opportunity is open to all, by working together collaboratively through dialogue and peaceful change through policy."
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