A body cam video capturing the moments before and after the fatal shooting of Keith Lamont Scott by a Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer shows fellow officers treating the man's gunshot wounds and encouraging him to "stay with us," while another officer tells his colleague to "stay right here with the gun."
The graphic, 16-minute video released by CMPD Tuesday evening is the latest to show the aftermath of the shooting of Scott on Sept. 20.
>>Click here to see the graphic body cam video.
Scott's death led to two nights of violent protests, including unrest hours after the shooting on Sept. 20 and more violence in uptown Charlotte the next night.
Authorities have said an officer shot Scott after the man refused to drop a pistol as he exited a parked vehicle.
>>Click here to see the graphic dash cam video.
The Scott family attorneys acknowledged Tuesday night what CMPD Chief Kerr Putney has said all along -- that the videos create more questions than answers.
Those attorneys maintain that Scott's final actions did not justify deadly force.
WSOC has blurred parts of the videos because they are graphic.
The dash cam video shows the final steps Scott takes before he is shot and killed. In the video, officers treat Scott in his final moments. Officers yell out his wounds and tell one another to watch a gun.
Throughout the 16-minute video officers made reference to the gun twice but it is never seen.
As officers treated Scott, they repeatedly told him paramedics were on the way.
"Stay with us bro, stay with us now," an officer said.
Officers also continuously ask Scott who he is as they treat him.
"My man, what's your name?" an officer asked.
MEDIC eventually arrived to perform CPR before transporting Scott to the hospital.
In a news conference after the video was released, attorneys criticized CMPD for not deescalating the situation.
"When you look at the actions of Mr. Scott on film and you watch him die on this video, does the death that he suffered match up with the actions that he took during the moments he was killed," attorney Justin Bamberg asked. "It is our position that right now it doesn't."
Attorneys said their takeaway from the footage is that Scott did not do anything that would justify an officer's use of deadly force.
CMPD has maintained that Scott had a gun and that his fingerprints and DNA were found on the weapon.
Charles Monett, another attorney for the family, said police have been asked to release an inventory of the items seized from the shooting scene, but he said they have so far refused.
"One thing that is clear from the video is that they had no idea who he was," Attorney Charles Monnett said. "They had no idea if he had a lawful permit. They were acting under the assumption he didn't without taking the steps necessary to make sure."
Given the totality of the evidence, Putney said he would not charge the officers. The Mecklenburg County District Attorney has the final decision.
CMPD Statement:
"Mr. Scott's family reviewed the remaining dash-cam and body worn camera video of the events following the shooting in its entirety today.
The video has been made public and may be viewed. Viewer discretion is recommended due to the graphic nature of the video."
Hurricane Matthew forces postponement of Keith Scott's funeral
Funeral services have been postponed for Keith Scott, the 43-year-old man who was shot and killed by Charlotte-Mecklenburg police last month.
The family is going to reschedule the services because of Hurricane Matthew.
Murray's Mortuary of North Charleston, South Carolina, posted the services on its website Sunday.
A wake was to be held 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Folly Road Church of Christ on James Island. The funeral service was to be held at 11 a.m. Thursday at First Baptist Church of James Island.
His burial will be in St. James Memorial Gardens.
The new service schedule has not yet been released.
About the Author
