Riots in Charlotte following shooting of African American
The management of Face Activities extends our sympathies to the people of Charlotte, North Carolina, enduring a second night of riots following the tragic killing of 43-year-old Keith Lamont Scott, an African American motorist, by police. Though the investigation is ongoing and accounts of the event differ, it’s clear that far too many black men are shot by police in the U.S.
We must pull together as one people, regardless of social class or ethnicity, to demand justice, and reform. The loss in human potential, and the trauma to the family members left behind and the communities damaged by these tragic deaths is far too great to tolerate any longer. The fact that the officer who shot Scott is also African American illustrates that this is a complex issue, and we must seek long-term, systemic solutions.
Scott’s family, the NAACP and Jennifer Roberts, Charlotte’s Mayor, have urged the protesters to keep their demonstrations peaceful. But sadly a person was shot during the rioting, by a civilian, and remains in on life support, in critical condition. The city’s African American community is in an uproar, after police officers, looking for another man with a warrant, came upon Scott, and shot him to death, after claiming he drew a gun and wouldn’t comply with their commands.
The family disputes the police account, and claims the deceased was merely reading a book in his car when he was approached by police, with fatal consequences. They insist he was unarmed, waiting for his son to return home from school, while police insist they found a gun on the scene, but no book. Some of the police were wearing body cams, but according to North Carolina law they won’t be released to the public.
Learn more about the riots in Charlotte, and Keith Lamont Scott (CNN.com)
Photo: nbcnews.com
