North Carolina Faces Second Night of Violence; Governor Declares State of Emergency

After a second night of protests in Charlotte, North Carolina, nine civilians were injured and 44 were arrested, according to police officials. Thursday evening, police reported that a man who was shot Wednesday night at the protests in what they called a "civilian vs civilian" incident had died.

The state's governor, Pat McCrory, declared a state of emergency in response to the continued violence and called in the National Guard. The protesters dispersed around 3 a.m. Thursday.

"Any violence directed toward our citizens or police officers or destruction of property should not be tolerated," the governor said.

The protests initially broke out in response to the police killing of Keith Lamont Scott, who was shot Tuesday afternoon in a parking lot while police were investigating an unrelated crime. Police say he carried a gun which he refused to drop and posed an imminent threat, which led to the killing. However, Scott's family disputes this account of the events.

"It is important that we have a full and transparent investigation of the original incident," Charlotte Mayor Jennifer Roberts told reporters in a press conference.

During the protest, some demonstrators shut down roadways, looted vehicles and lit fires. Many businesses and storefronts also received heavy damage in the protests, local reports confirm.

Many protesters have remained peaceful, conducting lie-ins and marches:

Police have been using tear gas, rubber bullets and flash grenades to break up some of the protests. Twelve police officers were injured Tuesday night.

Police Chief Kerr Putney told reporters Thursday that the police would not release video of Scott's killing, saying it would be inappropriate to release a recording of "a victim's worst day." He admitted that it does not provide "definitive visual evidence" that Scott pointed a gun at the officers. However, he believes additional evidence supports the police's account of events.

According to Joe Bruno with WSOC9, Scott's family was allowed to privately view the video Thursday afternoon. Their attorney replied "no comment" when asked if the footage supported the police's story.

In a press release addressing the police shooting of a man in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Attorney General Loretta Lynch also expressed concern about the killing of Scott.

“The Department of Justice is aware of, and we are assessing, the incident that led to the death of Keith Lamont Scott in Charlotte. We are in regular contact with local authorities as their investigation into the shooting begins to unfold,” she said.

In light of the violence, the NFL announced that it's considering moving the location of the upcoming game between the Vikings and the Carolina Panthers, which is supposed to be played in Charlotte on Sunday.

President Obama called McCrory Thursday morning to get an update about the protests.

This story has been updated to reflect the death of a civilian.

Photo credit: Charlotte Police Department