BY JENNIFER SMITH FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
Protests erupted in the streets of Charlotte on Wednesday night as it was announced the black police officer who shot Keith Lamont Scott would not face charges for his murder.
Brentley Vinson was cleared of wrongdoing earlier in the day as prosecutors revealed footage which they said showed Scott was armed when he was killed on September 20.
Although the 43-year-old’s death was ruled a homicide, Charlotte’s District Attorney said there was not enough evidence to charge Vinson with murder.
He revealed CCTV footage of Scott on the day of his death which he said proved he had a gun holstered to his ankle.
The news reignited the anger of protesters who took to the streets after Scott’s death two months ago.
Around 100 marched on Wednesday night through the town’s streets with banners reading: ‘How to get away with murder: become a cop.’
Others protested outside the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department, chanting in the face of officers.
‘Dirty racist a** cops we don’t need ’em, need ’em. Back up, back up, we want freedom, freedom,’ they sang in anger.
One protester reportedly tried to remove the station’s flag but was stopped. Four people were arrested; three for obstructing traffic and one for disorderly conduct.
The police department shared photographs of officers at the scene smiling and answering complaints.
‘We support right to lawful protest; we ask those involved to simply obey the laws,’ the department said in a tweet. Later, they said the event had been ‘mostly peaceful’.
Other photographs painted a different scenario. In those shared by protesters and local photographers, crowds screamed in officers’ faces.
Scott, 43, was killed in the parking lot of an apartment complex on September 20.
Police later said they were in the area searching for someone else on a warrant when he exited his car, armed with a weapon.
They claim they demanded he drop it at least 10 times before officer Vinson fired his own gun.
Scott was shot in the abdomen and back, an autopsy revealed.
The killing sparked widespread protests in Charlotte as Scott’s family pleaded for justice. They said he was not armed and had been killed unlawfully.
After widespread pressure, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Officer released dash-cam footage of the shooting.
It failed to show the exact moment he was shot or how many times but did reveal how officers tried to save the man’s life after inflicting the fatal wounds.
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