Protests in Charlotte, USA Extend into Fourth Night

Despite a curfew being announced, the fourth night of protests against the police shooting of a Black citizen continued in Charlotte, North Carolina, with around 300 people in the streets. According to Reuters, the protests on Friday night, October 2, were peaceful, and demonstrators particularly demanded the release of the video of the police shooting of Keith Scott. Protesters also chanted 'Resist' against the police as they passed in front of armed National Guard troops. Additionally, 250 people protested in Atlanta in response to Keith Scott's death. Keith Scott, a 43-year-old Black man, was shot and killed by police on Tuesday, September 30. The police claim he was armed during the encounter, which the Scott family denies. In a video previously released by Mr. Scott's wife, a police officer can be heard asking Keith Scott to 'put down the weapon' twelve times before four gunshots are heard. The video does not show whether Keith Scott was armed or the moment he was shot. Meanwhile, CNN reported from a 'source close to the investigation' that a 'loaded weapon' was found at the shooting scene, with fingerprints, DNA, and blood all belonging to Keith Scott. Charlotte Police Chief Kerr Putney stated that releasing the police-recorded video of the incident 'may be detrimental to the investigation,' but added that it would be released at an appropriate time. Hillary Clinton, the Democratic presidential candidate, urged police officials to 'immediately' release the police video, stating that 'we must work to ensure that justice and effort fill the existing gaps.' Protests in Charlotte escalated into violence earlier in the week, with some protesters attacking journalists and others, setting fires, and breaking windows of public and private buildings; several police officers were also injured in the clashes. Another individual was killed during the unrest, which police say was due to the shooting of another civilian. The violence prompted officials to declare a state of emergency, deploy the National Guard to the city, and impose a curfew from midnight onwards.