Charlotte Mayor Jennifer Roberts (D) said Friday she agrees with community members calling for the release of video showing Tuesday's fatal police shooting of 43-year-old Keith Lamont Scott in Charlotte, North Carolina. "I would like to have it released," Roberts said, though she noted the footage from body and dashboard cameras leaves the circumstances surrounding Scott's death "ambiguous."
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Kerr Putney announced Thursday the videos would not be released to the public, though they were shown to Scott's family at their request. After seeing the film, the family advocated for its release "as a matter of the greater good and transparency." Roberts herself said she thinks it's "only a matter of time" until the footage is publicly available.
Police say Scott was armed when he encountered officers, and that he disregarded commands to drop his weapon; witnesses have said he was carrying only a book, and his family said he appeared "very calm" and "non-aggressive" in the videos. "While police did give him several commands, he did not aggressively approach them or raise his hands at members of law enforcement at any time," said Justin Bamberg, an attorney for the Scott family. "It is impossible to discern from the videos what, if anything, Mr. Scott is holding in his hands."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Thursday marked the third night of protests in Charlotte over Scott's death, though they were notably peaceful compared to demonstrations earlier this week.
-
5 cracking cartoons about the new Cracker Barrel logoCartoons Artists take on MAGA designs, real issues, and more
-
Should you downsize for retirement? Here's what to consider.The Explainer Moving to a smaller place may seem easier, but there are also some real benefits to staying put
-
What to do if you want to move but don't want to give up your low mortgage ratethe explainer 30-year mortgage rates are currently averaging 7% — and homeowners who secured rates closer to 3% during the pandemic are reluctant to sell their homes
-
2 kids killed in shooting at Catholic school massSpeed Read 17 others were wounded during a morning mass at the Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis
-
Australian woman found guilty of mushroom murdersspeed read Erin Patterson murdered three of her ex-husband's relatives by serving them toxic death cap mushrooms
-
Combs convicted on 2 of 5 charges, denied bailSpeed Read Sean 'Diddy' Combs was acquitted of the more serious charges of racketeering and sex trafficking
-
Sniper kills 2 Idaho firefighters in ambushSpeed Read A man started a wildfire, then fired a rifle at first responders when they arrived
-
Weinstein convicted of sex crime in retrialSpeed Read The New York jury delivered a mixed and partial verdict at the disgraced Hollywood producer's retrial
-
'King of the Hill' actor shot dead outside homespeed read Jonathan Joss was fatally shot by a neighbor who was 'yelling violent homophobic slurs,' says his husband
-
DOJ, Boulder police outline attacker's confessionspeed read Mohamed Sabry Soliman planned the attack for a year and 'wanted them all to die'
-
Assailant burns Jewish pedestrians in Boulderspeed read Eight people from the Jewish group were hospitalized after a man threw Molotov cocktails in a 'targeted act of violence'
