VIDEO: NC Governor Sends in Guard, Troopers After Second Night of Charlotte Riots
Governor Pat McCrory declared a State of Emergency to initiate efforts to deploy the North Carolina National Guard after a second night of rioting in Charlotte Wednesday.
The rioting began as a peaceful protest and escalated into violence and chaos. Before it was over one civilian was critically wounded by civilian gunfire, four officers were injured, and glass windows and doors were shattered in hotel lobbies, store fronts, restaurants, and clubs. The person who was shot was earlier reported as dead but the city said Thursday that was a false report and the person is on life support at an area hospital.
An organized protest began in Charlotte’s uptown area at 7 p.m., with hundreds of people gathered peacefully with chants of “No justice, no peace” and “black lives matter,” WCNC TV reports. The protests were in response to the fatal police shooting of 43-year-old Keith Scott in northeast Charlotte Tuesday.
Police say Scott had a gun and refused multiple commands to drop the weapon before he was shot.
Riots erupted Tuesday as people claiming to be Scott’s family reported via social media that the man was unarmed and reading a book when he was killed by police.
