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4 Arrested in Charlotte Protests After DA Says No Charges for Officer Who Killed Keith Lamont Scott

HeadlineDec 01, 2016

In Charlotte, North Carolina, people took to the streets Wednesday night to protest the announcement that police officer Brentley Vinson, who is black, will not face charges for fatally shooting African-American father Keith Lamont Scott. At least four people were arrested as protesters marched with signs reading “How to get away with murder: Become a cop.” Keith Lamont Scott’s killing by police in September sparked massive protests in Charlotte and nationwide. Scott’s family says he was reading a book in his car in a parking lot waiting to pick up his son after school, when he was approached by police officers. The dashboard camera video of the interaction, which was released after the protests, shows Scott exiting his vehicle and taking steps backward with his arms at his sides. In the video, police fire four shots at Scott as he falls to the ground. In October, an independent autopsy ruled the shooting was a homicide. But on Wednesday, Mecklenburg County District Attorney Andrew Murray announced Officer Vinson will not face charges and that the shooting was justified. Murray said the investigation found that Scott had a gun at the scene of the shooting, although he admitted there was no evidence that Scott actually raised the gun at officers. North Carolina is an open-carry state, which means it is legal to carry a gun. In a statement, Scott’s family members said they are “profoundly disappointed” by the decision not to charge Officer Vinson, who has been on paid leave during the investigation. Meanwhile, in Charleston, South Carolina, prosecutors made closing arguments Wednesday in the murder trial of white police officer Michael Slager, who was captured on video fatally shooting African American Walter Scott in the back as Scott ran away.

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