Watch [Update]: No Charges Filed Against Charlotte Officer Who Shot and Killed Keith Lamont Scott
On Wednesday, a North Carolina prosecutor announced the Charlotte police officer involved in the September fatal shooting of Keith Lamont Scott will not face charges, reports the New York Times.
In September, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Officer Brentley Vinson was defended by his department. Kerr Putney, the chief of the CMPD, said Vinson, who is Black, was “absolutely not being charged by me at this point.”
During a press conference, Andrew Murray, the Mecklenburg County district attorney, justified Vinson’s use of deadly force and described it as lawful because he feared for his life.
"After a thorough review and given the totality of the circumstances and credible evidence in this case, it is my opinion that Officer Vinson acted lawfully when he shot Mr. Scott,” Murray told reporters.
After the decision was announced, Scott's family and their lawyer addressed the public
Murray also negated claims that Scott was not armed at the time of the shooting
“All of the credible and available evidence suggests that he was armed,” Murray said of Scott.
Murray said that Scott had a .380 semiautomatic handgun with a round of ammunition in his possession when he was approached by CMPD officers.
Murray said that a surveillance video, recorded at a nearby convenience store, showed Scott had a gun. Murray also suggested that Scott wore an ankle holster.
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However, many protesters still believe that Scott was faced with an unfair use of lethal force
Scott’s death led to days of protests in Charlotte
