CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Authorities tried to quell public anger and correct what they characterized as false information Wednesday as Charlotte dealt with a second night of violent protests, adding itself to the list of U.S. cities that have erupted in violence over the death of a black man at the hands of police.
One man was shot and killed as protesters gathered near police in riot gear at an upscale downtown Charlotte hotel Wednesday night. The man was not shot by a police officer, the city of Charlotte said on Twitter.
A short time later, police began firing flash grenades at protesters who were throwing fireworks at them. They then fired tear gas at the hundreds of protesters, dispersing most of the crowd.ur black dollars shouldn’t matter,” said B.J. Murphy, a radio host and leader of the Nation of Islam.
“Your life is in danger, you need to move!” police in riot gear yelled.
Protests had remained peaceful in uptown on Wednesday, after the fatal police shooting of Keith Lamont Scott. But the scene turned chaotic after 8:30 p.m., when protesters went from Marshall Park to the Epicentre dining and entertainment complex and the Omni on Trade Street.
Businesses in the Epicentre closed hours earlier in anticipation of the protests. Police also blocked off streets as the situation deteriorated outside the Omni.
Several hundred protesters had gathered at the Omni before tear gas began scattering the crowd.
Protesters blocked Trade and Tryon streets at about 8 p.m. and then moved to the Epicentre.
Hours earlier, a group of two dozen protesters stood silently in front of the Bank of America Tower at the same intersection. They held signs reading “Black Lives Matter” and “Stop Killing Us.”
Protesters then gathered outside Charlotte-Mecklenburg police headquarters before gathering at Marshall Park for a 7 p.m. rally.
Scott’s wife, meanwhile, issued a statement calling for protests to remain peaceful. Do not damage property, she urged.
Speakers using a bullhorn questioned why police shot Scott. Even if Scott had a gun as Charlotte-Mecklenburg police said, protesters said North Carolina is an open carry state where it is legal to have a firearm.
The protesters also criticized police for their response Tuesday night when officers used tear gas and batons to disburse crowds on Old Concord Road near where Scott was fatally shot.
“You were unprepared,” one protester yelled, addressing police. “You escalated it … You came to us with billy clubs.”
Alex Gray of Charlotte said he was “not really big on chanting. But just to be here to support … I mean, there are a lot of people who have lost their lives for this reason or that reason. It’s just disheartening.” It would be nice to see some change, obviously it’s not going to be anything that happens overnight, but if it has to start somewhere … If you’re not an actor, you’re a factor, so I’d rather be part of the movement than not.”
Master Allah of Charlotte said, “if you read (my sign), it says if we were really free, we wouldn’t be dealing with this. What it means is, in the history of America, we have never been seen as free. We wasn’t brought to this country to be equal, and now we’re at a point to where were being destroyed.
“I think with the power of media _ Facebook, Twitter, all the social media _ now it’s something that’s being seen on the daily. It can’t be denied. We gotta talk about it because we’ve got a real problem.”
Earlier Wednesday afternoon, pockets of the city were on edge, with some uptown businesses apparently sending workers home early over uncertainty about further protests. The Charlotte Chamber also urged businesses in uptown and University City to “remove or chain down all tables, chairs, signs or planters.”
At the afternoon silent protest at the Bank of America Tower, Andrew Monroe said the gathering was organized informally by a group of black professionals. “What we want to do is show we’re not dangerous,” he said. “We want to show the world it’s not thugs out here.”
Monroe said black people deserve to be safe in the streets and don’t feel the way in the spate of recent police shootings.
Across town at UNCC, students gathered at the Union and laid down in protest.