Compiled by Jesse Wood
Gov. Pat McCrory declared a state of emergency last night because of the unrest in Charlotte, which started after a Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department officer shot and killed Keith Lamont Scott in an apartment complex parking lot.
Law enforcement officials say he was armed, while family members say he was holding a book. The ACLU called on law enforcement officials to release police footage from dash or body cams. Read a “minute-by-minute” timeline of the situation from WSOC-TV here.
Below are releases from Gov. McCrory’s office.
Governor Pat McCrory declared a State of Emergency on Wednesday at 11:00 p.m. upon the request of Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Chief Kerr Putney. The governor has also initiated efforts to deploy the North Carolina National Guard and the State Highway Patrol to assist local law enforcement.
“Upon a recent request of Chief Putney, the National Guard and State Highway Patrol are sending in resources to further help the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department,” said Governor McCrory. “Any violence directed toward our citizens or police officers or destruction of property should not be tolerated. I support and commend the law enforcement officials for their bravery and courage during this difficult situation.”
The declaration allows the state to send the N.C. National Guard to Charlotte to provide support to the State Highway Patrol and local law enforcement as needed. Charlotte officials requested state assistance following two nights of violent riots.
Department of Public Safety Secretary Frank L. Perry will direct the State’s Emergency Operations Plan and deploy the State Emergency Response Team to assist Charlotte and Mecklenburg County officials in maintaining safety and security in the city.
To view Executive Order 102 click here.
Prior to last night’s declaration, McCrory issued these two statements yesterday on the situation in Charlotte:
Statements from McCrory:
Governor Pat McCrory issued the following statement on the events in Charlotte: “I want to assure the people of North Carolina that our SBI has already been assisting the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department throughout the last 24 hours. Upon a very recent request of Chief Putney, the State Highway Patrol is sending in troopers to further help the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department. The state has many additional assets nearby to assist. Any violence directed toward our citizens or police officers or destruction of property should not be tolerated. I support and commend the law enforcement officials for their bravery and courage during this difficult situation.”
Governor Pat McCrory issued the following statement on the events in Charlotte: “I’ve been in conversations with the mayor and other city officials since early this morning. We will do everything we can to support the mayor and the police chief in their efforts to keep the community calm and to get this situation resolved. It’s very important that we all work together as a team to solve a very difficult issue and to bring peace and resolution. My prayers are with the Scott family and also our law enforcement, especially the 16 police officers who were injured last night. As governor I’m going to do everything I can to support the entire city leadership in their effort to resolve this situation.”
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