Chaos reigned in the streets of Charlotte, North Carolina, Wednesday night as rioting thugs taking part in a Black Lives Matter protest turned violent, attacking police, members of the media and even each other.
For a second night, protests over the police shooting of an armed black man turned into riots. The breakdown occurring despite Charlotte Police Chief Kerr Putney informing the public that the man killed by a black police officer, 43-year-old Keith Lamont Scott, was armed and ignored repeated calls to drop the weapon, Fox News reported.
“The officers gave loud, clear verbal commands which were also heard by many of the witnesses. They were instructing the subject, once he got out of the vehicle, to drop the weapon… Mr. Scott exited his vehicle armed with a handgun as the officers continued to yell at him to drop it,” Putney said.
But the news that Scott was holding a book, not a gun, is what circulated through social media and stirred what many are now calling a riot.
https://twitter.com/dbongino/status/778770333159395329
#Charlotte protest turns deadly as group clashes with cops during demonstration protesting #policeshooting: https://t.co/Bt6pHOtvWP pic.twitter.com/bCIz9zbghY
— ABC7 News (@abc7newsbayarea) September 22, 2016
One person was shot by another civilian and was taken to the hospital in critical condition, according to police.
#BREAKING: Witnesses say a person was shot in front of the Omni WATCH LIVE: https://t.co/OOBPQovdHD pic.twitter.com/xpBiUJOIpI
— WCNC Charlotte (@wcnc) September 22, 2016
“Around 8:30 p.m., a civilian fired a pistol indiscriminately into a crowd of dozens outside the hotel, turned and ran, leaving a man laying on the ground in a pool of blood on the sidewalk,” said Ryan James, an eyewitness to the shooting.
He described the shooter as a black male.
The violence continued to intensify, with angry protesters aggressively confronting riot police.
Getting dangerous in uptown. Riot gear is out. Blood on ground. Business vandalized. @wcnc pic.twitter.com/5ET4eaFmna
— Mark Boyle WRAL (@MarkBoyleTV) September 22, 2016
There was a disturbing report of a still photographer being attacked by protesters, who then tried to throw the man into a fire that had been set.
#WCCB witnessed protesters try to throw still photographer into fire in Uptown #Charlotte. https://t.co/T6i8AH5iGu #CharlotteProtest #news pic.twitter.com/t26WgIlwOh
— WCCB Charlotte's CW (@WCCBCharlotte) September 22, 2016
Police can be seen in the video below rushing to rescue the man from the crazed mob:
#Charlotte rioters attempted to set a photographer on fire. pic.twitter.com/BdASQAIv51 #CharlotteProtest
— Original Team Trump™ (@jpm05880) September 22, 2016
Another example of the "peaceful protest… #CharlotteProtest https://t.co/BvTyWWTSl5
— CAM ➐ (@Objcam) September 22, 2016
A CNN reporter was attacked by a black man live on-air, as seen here:
Protester bodychecks CNN reporter, knocks him to the ground at #CharlotteProtest pic.twitter.com/5wkzPXFfdp
— Mashable News (@MashableNews) September 22, 2016
In another disturbing scene, a man can be seen begging for his life as a mob of thugs set upon him simply because of the color of his skin:
#CharlotteProtest Beating man begging for mercy in parking garage. @AC360 @seanhannity @BretBaier Credit:Lenard Bennett (facebook) @ncnaacp pic.twitter.com/YWHEU2UV1n
— Nikki Baeley ➐ (@NikkiBAEley) September 22, 2016
North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory eventually declared a state of emergency in response to the out-of-control violence in Charlotte.
I have declared a State of Emergency & initiated efforts to deploy the Nat'l Guard & Highway Patrol to assist local law enforcement in CLT
— Pat McCrory (@PatMcCroryNC) September 22, 2016
Police battled into the night, trying to take back control of the streets:
This isn’t a protest. This is a riot.
Come on, Charlotte. https://t.co/x98RK5Ttl9
— CAR Panthers News (@CarPanthersNews) September 22, 2016
According to reports, President Barack Obama never received a “3:00 a.m. call” regarding the chaos in the streets of an American city:
North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory says he has not heard from President Obama yet #CharlotteProtest pic.twitter.com/bOYSnzNLGW
— FOX & Friends (@foxandfriends) September 22, 2016
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