Thursday, March 28, 2024

Charlotte Police Chief: Keith Lamont Scott was Armed, Given Multiple Warnings to Drop Gun Before Fatally Shot

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Kerr Putney
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Kerr Putney

*During a press conference Wednesday morning, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Kerr Putney said Keith Lamont Scott exited his car with a handgun before he was fatally shot by an officer, but could not say for certain whether Scott was pointing the gun at the police.

As previously reported, violent protests broke out overnight after Scott, a 43-year-old African American father of seven, was shot and killed by a police officer who was attempting to serve a warrant for a different man at an apartment complex.

The officer who killed Scott, Brentley Vinson, is also black, the mayor’s office said Wednesday. He was not wearing a body camera during the shooting. Kerr said Vinson, a Charlotte Metro Police officer since July 2014, has been placed on paid administrative leave.

Keith Lamont Scott, shown with his wife, Rakeyia Scott.
Keith Lamont Scott, shown with his wife, Rakeyia Scott.

Putney said officers were attempting to serve the warrant just before 4 p.m. in the parking lot of The Village at College Downs apartment complex in the University City neighborhood when they saw Scott.

“The subject exited the vehicle armed with a firearm. Officers observed the subject get back into the vehicle at which time they began to approach the subject,” police said in its initial press release. “The subject got back out of the vehicle armed with a firearm and posed an imminent deadly threat to officers who subsequently fired their weapon striking the subject.”

“The officers gave loud clear verbal commands which were also heard by many of the witnesses,” Putney said Wednesday. “They instructed him to drop the weapon.”

Putney said the officers felt their lives were endangered and at least one officer shot Scott.

“We’re still going through all of the footage from both body-worn and dash,” Putney said regarding police video. “I can tell you a handgun was seized,” Putney said, “I can also tell you we did not find a book, which has been referenced to.”

Scott’s family, however, has a different account of what happened.

A woman claiming to be Scott’s daughter posted an hourlong video on Facebook saying her father was unarmed when he was shot. She said her father was sitting in his vehicle reading a book and waiting for the school bus to drop off his son.

Scott’s brother told reporters that the officer who shot Scott was undercover and was in plainclothes.

The chief also said the officer, Vinson, was in plainclothes, but had a vest on with CMPD and police on the front and back. Uniformed officers were also at the scene, Putney said.

The chief said he does not know if the gun was loaded. Officials have also not said if the gun was legally owned.

According to police, officers “immediately requested” a medic and “began performing CPR” after Scott was shot.

Scott was taken to Carolinas Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

The Charlotte case is the latest shooting involving an officer, and racial tensions are high nationwide following a spate of others. Last week’s fatal shooting of Terence Crutcher, an unarmed black man in Tulsa, Oklahoma, sparked protests after video of the killing appeared Monday showing Crutcher being shot with his hands raised.

Below, more FB Live footage of the woman claiming to be Scott’s daughter protesting the shooting [Warning: Language]:

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