A video of the deadly encounter between Charlotte police and Keith Lamont Scott was obtained and posted on news websites Friday amid calls from protesters and the man’s family for greater police transparency.
The video, posted on the websites of the New York Times and NBC News, reportedly was recorded by Scott’s wife, Rakeyia, on her cell phone.
Charlotte police chief Kerr Putney has said there is at least one video from a body camera and one other video from a dashboard camera that captured the deadly shooting of the black man by an officer.
But Putney continued Friday to refuse to release the videos, which could resolve wildly different accounts of the shooting of Scott, 43.
"If you think we should display a family’s worst day for public consumption, that is not the transparency we’re speaking of," Putney said.
Police have said Scott refused repeated commands to drop a gun, while residents say he was unarmed. An attorney for his family, who viewed one of the videos in the police’s possession Thursday, says it's not clear from the video if he's holding anything, including a gun.
The 2 1/2 minute video from Rakeyia Scott posted online Friday does not show the shooting, through gunshots can be heard.
“Don’t shoot him. Don’t shoot him, he has no weapon” Rakeyia Scott can be heard saying in the video, while officers, surrounding an SUV in the middle of the street, are heard yelling “Drop the gun!”
As the officers continue to urge Scott to drop any gun, Rakeyia Scott urges Keith to step out of the vehicle.
“Keith don’t let them break the windows. Come on out the car. Keith, don’t do it,” she is heard saying.
Four gunshots are then heard followed by Rakeyia Scott moving closer to the SUV.
“Did you shoot him? He better not be f------ dead” she yells at the officers. “He better live, because he ain’t do nothing to them.”
The footage then shows Keith face down on the street, motionless, surrounded by the officers.
Putney said during a news conference Friday that he cannot release more information about the shooting because his department is not leading the investigation, which is being conducted by the State Bureau of Investigation.
Charlotte Mayor Jennifer Roberts said she believes video of the shooting should be released publicly, but it’s a matter of when.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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