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Activists call for resignation of Charlotte mayor, CMPD chief

By Gina Esposito, wsoctv.com and Alexa Ashwell
By Gina Esposito, wsoctv.com and Alexa Ashwell

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Local grass-roots organizations released demands on Monday in the wake of the shooting death of Keith Scott by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Officer Brently Vinson.

The North Carolina NAACP State Conference, Charlotte Mecklenburg branch of the NAACP and the Charlotte Clergy Coalition for Justice created a unified list of immediate demands that include:

  • Addressing police brutality
  • The need for major criminal justice reform to be addressed at the presidential national debates and the gubernatorial and senatorial state debates
  • All candidates and media outlets broadening their analysis of violence to include social violence inflicted by extremist policies such as the denial of Medicaid expansion and living wages
  • The immediate repeal of House Bill 972, which blocks the public from accessing police video recordings

Grass-roots organization Tribe also released nearly a dozen demands.
 
Key immediate demands included a call for CMPD Chief Kerry Putney and Charlotte Mayor Jennifer Roberts to resign. 
 
The group said during a press conference Monday morning it believes the chief has mishandled the investigation and Roberts hasn't responded correctly. 
 
"He has promised us that CMPD would become more transparent under his leadership," Bree Newsome with Tribe said. "We feel those promises have been broken and we therefore call for the immediate resignation of Kerr Putney as chief of CMPD."
 
Talk of a lack of transparency centered on video footage.
 
The group has called for the release of all video footage pertaining to the Keith Scott case. 
 
The argument presented is that if there is nothing to see on those additional videos then why not release them for full transparency.
 
This point led to talks of the need for the repeal of House Bill 972.
 
The group also expressed desire for the United States Department of Justice to investigate CMPD and take over the Scott case due to a lack of confidence in the SBI.

Protests continue for sixth day

Protests continued in uptown Charlotte Sunday for the sixth straight day following the deadly officer-involved shooting of Keith Lamont Scott.

Charlotte lifted its midnight curfew, signaling movement toward normalcy after a state of emergency was imposed following the shooting death of a black man by police last week that brought National Guard troops and armored vehicles to downtown street corners.

Overnight, Channel 9 learned that Charlotte-Mecklenburg police made 11 arrests Sunday night.

There were only about 100 people that took part in Sunday’s protests, down considerably from prior days. There was also a heavy police presence, as protesters chanted "Black Lives Matter" through midtown.

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One protester told Channel 9 that there were more officers in the area than protesters.

“It's literally, I'd say about 3-to-1 in terms of the crowd and police officers, so I'd say three police officers to one protester, and I just don't think it's necessary, you know? We've proven as a city that we can protest peacefully,” said Raven Solomon.

Channel 9 saw officers on bikes, ATVS, buses and in tactical gear.

The group of protesters tried to make their way back onto Interstate 277 Sunday night, near Fourth Street, but when officers approached them, the protesters ran off.

Police said that while running away, Donnell Jones tripped and fell in front of a police ATV. The officer hit him in the arm with the vehicle and arrested him for disorderly conduct.

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Since the protests started last week, Eyewitness News has seen the National Guard, CMPD officers in riot gear and demonstrations throughout the city.

Mayor Jennifer Roberts is urging the community to come together and show their unity.

Calls for resignations

Meanwhile, the North Carolina NAACP and the Charlotte Clergy Coalition for Justice will call for transparency in the shooting of Scott.

A rally was supposed to be held in Marshall Park, where many protests have been, but because of the rain it was moved to a nearby church, AME Zion, at 6:30 p.m.

The group “Tribe,” which is made up of various organizations, made several demands in light of the shooting death of Keith Scott at the hands of police.

They're calling for the resignation of Chief Kerr Putney and Mayor Jennifer Roberts. They believe Putney has mishandled the investigation and Roberts didn't respond correctly.

They would also like the same thing many protesters have called for: access to all video related to the Scott case.

Their argument is that if there is nothing to see on those additional videos then why not release them for full transparency.

The group is also calling for the Department of Justice to take over the investigation, as well as launch an investigation into the CMPD.

"The lack of transparency on the part of CMPD in providing explanations for Keith Scott’s death and attempts to intimidate and stifle protests reflect an established pattern of misconduct,” said Bree Newsome.

The group is calling on the resignations and release of all footage by Friday.

Protests before Panthers game

More than 100 people protested outside Bank of America Stadium as the Panthers took on the Minnesota Vikings Sunday afternoon.

Many of the protesters demanded that CMPD release all of the footage captured on the day Officer Brentley Vinson shot and killed Keith Scott.

Some said the tragedy is an opportunity to stand together and teach the next generation about what's going on in the world.

"We've talked about racism, and about things that happen in our city that are different for children of color, for people of color, than things that I don't have to worry about with my kids,” said Alyssa Jackson.

Sunday’s game was ruled an extraordinary event, which gave police the ability to tighten security and conduct more searches.

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The protesters also lined up in front of the stadium and took a knee as the national anthem played inside. They chanted "Black Lives Matter" and held signs that said "Take a knee, take a stand."

Thanking those in uniform

Over the past several days, Channel 9 has seen people taking time to stop and greet officers. They've shaken their hands and also hugged them.

On Sunday, numerous Panthers and Vikings fans said “thank you” to law enforcement stationed outside the stadium.

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Protesters were also among those who stopped to shake hands with officers on bicycles and in tactical gear.

Some stopped to take a picture, and one man even passed out handwritten thank you cards.

Cox Media Group

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