The police officers involved in the fatal shooting of Keith Lamont Scott are claiming they initially approached his vehicle because he was smoking marijuana.
Charlotte, North Carolina law enforcement had initially maintained Scott exited his vehicle holding a weapon, prompting them to open fire. However, the release of two separate video clips last week that captured the deadly confrontation have led investigators and the public to conclude that it is unclear whether or not the father of seven was armed at the time of the shooting.
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In light of the video’s inconclusive nature, it seems police have made it a point to find another reason to try and justify the killing as tensions remain high in the Charlotte community.
Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, Charlotte Police Chief Kerr Putney claimed officers initially approached Scott because they had reason to believe he was in posession of marijuana, but took added precaution when they allegedly saw that he had a gun.
CMPD issues written case update with more details surrounding #KeithLamontScott case: pic.twitter.com/YDedGPGkT2
— Morgan Fogarty (@MorganFogarty) September 24, 2016