While Keith Lamont Scott, 43, was doing his routine of waiting for his children to get home from school, he was shot dead. Scott’s brother argues he was disabled and simply doing his routine of reading a book. Charlotte-Mecklenburg police claim they found a gun in his vehicle. Police Chief Kerr Putney says social media has it all wrong. Police are now faced with tackling the unrest in the city as demonstrators are destroying police cars, setting vehicles on fire and attacking officers with rocks. It’s reported at the time of this writing that 16 officers have been injured.
Scott was a father of seven. He was standing next to his car on Tuesday night, September 20, 2016, when officer Brentley Vinson opened fire and killed him. Officers were at The Village at College Downs apartment complex on the 9600 block of Old Concord Road serving a warrant to another man, not Scott.
“It’s time for the voiceless majority to stand up and be heard,” said the police chief, who is Black. “It’s time to change the narrative because I can tell you from the facts that the story’s a little bit different as to how it’s been portrayed so far, especially through social media.”
Putney emphasizes that evidence and witnesses support the officers’ claim that Scott was armed and refused to drop his weapon when Vinson ordered him to.
Here are some fast facts about officer Vinson:
- Vinson has been a member of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg police for two years.
- While serving the warrant, Vinson was in plain clothes and wearing a CMPD vest.
- Vinson did not have a body camera.
- Vinson attended Liberty University where he placed football from 2009-2012.
- Vinson studied criminal justice at Liberty University.
- Vinson’s father, Alex Vinson has said they will not be speaking to the media.
- Vinson has been placed on paid administrative leave.
In other news, presidential candidates Donald Trump and Hilary Clinton share their perspectives on Twitter:
