A prayer vigil in honor of Keith Lamont Scott turned into a violent
protest Wednesday night in Charlotte, North Carolina, prompting the
governor to declare a state of emergency, as riot gear-wearing police
fired tear gas at demonstrators who threw bottles at police, blocked the
interstate, threw objects at passing cars, jumped on vehicles, looted,
vandalized a Hyatt hotel and attacked its employees.
And one of the protesters was in critical condition and on life support after being shot by another civilian.
Four police officers sustained non-life threatening injuries, the
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department tweeted early Thursday morning.
"Governor Pat McCrory has declared a State of Emergency upon the request
Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Chief Kerr Putney," read a statement from
the governor's office. "The governor has also initiated efforts to
deploy the North Carolina National Guard and the State Highway Patrol to
assist local law enforcement."
Earlier in the evening, Gov. McCrory said, "Upon a very recent request
of Chief Putney, the State Highway Patrol is sending in troopers to
further help the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department."
Also on their way to Charlotte are officials from the White House and
the Department of Justice, according to ABC affiliate WSOC, citing mayor
Jennifer Roberts. And the North Carolina NAACP State Conference said in
a statement "we will be in Charlotte to talk with the family, key
members of the community and City leaders" on Thursday, followed by a
press conference in the afternoon.
Roy Cooper, North Carolina's attorney general said in statement,
"Violence will not bring justice ... We must come together as a
community to get answers and find a better path forward."
WSOC reported that looters hit a Charlotte Hornets team store, which the
NBA team confirmed. The Hyatt House hotel in the city's downtown also
said protesters broke the property's windows and attacked two employees.
Before midnight, protesters descended upon Interstate 277, which they
blocked. According to WSOC, protesters also threw objects at passing
vehicles.
The city of Charlotte initially tweeted that the protester who was shot
by the other civilian was dead, but it later tweeted, "CORRECTION
UPDATE: Civilian who suffered gunshot wound during protests is on life
support, critical condition. Not deceased." The initial tweet also said
police "did not fire shot" at the protester.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department spokeswoman Cindy Wallace said
Wednesday night of the shot protester, "Officers responded to North
College Street and East Trade Street to an ADW [assault with a deadly
weapon] call for service at approximately 8:31 p.m. One person was
located with an apparent gunshot wound and transported to CMC Main
[Carolinas Medical Center]. This is all the information I have at this
time."
Scott is the armed man who was fatally shot by Charlotte-Mecklenburg
police at an apartment complex Tuesday. His wife issued a statement
Wednesday afternoon addressing the protesters, and urging them to
exercise restraint against law enforcement officers.
"As a family, we respect the rights of those who wish to protest, but we
ask that people protest peacefully," the statement read. "Please do not
hurt people or members of law enforcement, damage property or take
things that do not belong to you in the name of protesting.”
And governor Pat McCrory said in a statement Wednesday night, "Any
violence directed toward our citizens or police officers or destruction
of property should not be tolerated."
Hundreds of protesters Wednesday night shouted slogans, including "Hands Up, Don't Shoot" and "Black Lives Matter" while filling the streets of downtown Charlotte.
After protesters rushed riot gear-wearing police, officers responded by firing tear gas to disperse the crowd.
At least one person was injured in the confrontation, though it wasn't
immediately clear how, according to The Associated Press. Firefighters
rushed in to pull the man to a waiting ambulance, the AP reported.
ABC News' Darren Reynolds, Joshua Hoyos, and Matthew Foster contributed to this report.
Editor's Note: A previous version of this story reported -- based on
a statement provided by the city of Charlotte at 9:33 p.m. -- that the
protester shot by another civilian was dead. The city of Charlotte then
announed at 10:42 p.m. that the protester was not dead, but on life
support and in critical condition.
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