Police are looking for two teenagers they say robbed a convenience store in west Charlotte on Friday. According to report released this morning by CMPD, the two men pictured below brandished firearms in LaVilla on Freedom Drive on Friday afternoon and demanded money. Investigators ask that anyone with information call Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600.
 

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Investigators are still searching for answers in the murder of Katherine Memory Jones in Plaza Midwood on Saturday morning. Jones was reportedly walking home from her job at Midwood Smokehouse at around 2:47 a.m. when she was shot dead on the 1300 block of The Plaza. It's unclear if there was any motive in the killing or whether it was a random act of violence. Anyone with information about this case is asked to call 704-432-TIPS. 

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A group calling itself Writers for a Progressive America took out a full page ad in Raleigh's News & Observer this morning to wish Pat McCrory a happy 60th birthday, although it wasn't what one would call a sincere pat on the back. The ad makes light of House Bill 2, which has been a huge failure of McCrory's administration on all accounts, and goes on to say, "Governor, we send you our best wishes today as you celebrate your 60th birthday. But the real celebration will begin November 8th when North Carolina votes to move in a more progressive direction." Ouch. 

Wow. This full-page ad in @newsobserver on our gov's birthday. Says it's from Writers for a Progressive NC. pic.twitter.com/OHBeppFQiF

— Eric Ferreri (@EricFerreri) October 17, 2016

Leaders with the Charlotte Uprising have called for a national day of action today, the two-week anniversary of Keith Lamont Scott's killing by a CMPD officer, from similar organizations across the country. Actions are already planned in Baltimore; Chicago; Detroit; New York City; Washington D.C. and Roanoke, Virginia.  

In Charlotte, organizers will gather in Marshall Park at 7 p.m. The event page states, "Led by Black, queer and trans organizers and accomplices, the Charlotte Uprising has tirelessly inspired people to resist state violence and dream of new possibilities beyond the current conditions we live in. Freedom fighters in Charlotte are now calling on freedom fighters everywhere to host coordinated actions on Tuesday, October 4, which will mark two weeks since Keith’s murder." 

No More Strange Fruit! Call to Action from Charlotte Uprising https://t.co/BsoPjBOdTW #CharlotteUprising

— Occupy Wall Street (@OccupyWallStNYC) October 3, 2016

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An 11-year-old girl was reportedly struck by a car while running to her school bus this morning in west Charlotte. According to this WCCB story, the girl was struck on LaSalle Street near Interstate 77. Family members on the scene have identified the girl as Zion Massey. She has reportedly been transported to the hospital with her mother after suffering serious injuries. 

Young girl hit by car. Trying to get on school bus at Lasalle. @TWCNewsCLT pic.twitter.com/oduULY7TFo

— Vanessa Leon (@VanessaLeonTV) October 4, 2016

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Police are looking for a man who they say cut off his electronic monitoring bracelet in west Charlotte yesterday. Alesio Briceag is now wanted on charges of credit theft with a scanning device, damage to property and interfering with an electronic monitoring device. He was last known to be on Hickory Bluff Court off Tuckaseegee Road. Anyone with information on Briceag's whereabouts is asked to call the Electronic Monitoring Unit at 704-432-8888, ext. 3. 

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CMPD this afternoon released footage from a body camera and a dashboard camera that caught parts of an incident on Tuesday that ended with a police officer shooting and killing Keith Lamont Scott. 

While the body camera footage, from a uniformed officer who showed up on the scene after the confrontation began, doesn't show much beyond him trying to break Scott's window and then coming around the vehicle to find Scott lying on the ground, the same officer's dash cam footage shows Scott being shot after exiting his car and backing towards the police cruiser. The sound is also off on the body camera footage until about the 21-second mark. 


Along with the footage, CMPD released a detailed statement telling their version of events that transpired on Tuesday afternoon, when officers waiting in The Village at College Downs to carry out a warrant on someone other than Scott confronted him and officer Brentley Vinson shot him. 

According to CMPD's statement, two plain-clothes officers were sitting in a car waiting to serve the warrant when Scott pulled up beside them in his white SUV. They allegedly saw Scott rolling a blunt — marijuana wrapped in cigar paper — but were not concerned with confronting him until they allegedly saw him hold a gun up. 

The officers then moved away from the scene to put on marked vests that identified them as police before confronting Scott, who they say refused their verbal commands to exit the vehicle. At this time, the uniformed officer arrived and came around the back of the vehicle and began hitting the window. It was then that Scott exited the vehicle with a gun, police say, and backed away from his vehicle. 

According to the statement, Vinson "perceived Mr. Scott's actions and movements as an imminent physical threat to himself and other officers," and opened fire, hitting Scott four times. In the video, Scott does not appear to pose a threat in a way that involves pointing a gun or anything of that manner. No gun can clearly be seen in the video. 

Police also released photos of the gun they say Scott was holding (left), an ankle holster than can be seen on his ankle in the footage and the blunt they say he was rolling. 

A video released by NBC News this afternoon reportedly filmed by Keith Lamont Scott's wife shows the moments leading up to and following Scott's shooting at the hands of CMPD officers. The video is rolling at the moment Scott is shot, but does not capture the shooting on screen. 


The video is sure to raise more questions than it answers, as no gun can clearly be seen at any point in the video. Scott's wife, Reykia Scott, does warn police near the beginning of the video that Keith does not have a weapon and that he just took his medicine for a traumatic brain injury, referring to a bicycle wreck Scott suffered a year ago that left him disabled. 

Reykia repeats "he better live" — an expression that had already been used widely on social media as a hashtag just minutes after the video's release — to officers as he lies on the ground of Lexington Circle, where he was waiting for his son to return home from school. 

The shooting sparked protests in Charlotte throughout the last three days that ended in damaged property and a man shot dead in Uptown on Wednesday night. We will update this story with the thoughts of local leaders as it develops. 

Mayor Jennifer Roberts and CMPD Chief Kerr Putney held another press conference this morning following a night of peaceful protests that ended in violence and destruction of property in Uptown.

Following that press conference, leaders with the North Carolina and Charlotte NAACP and other area clergy members held a press conference emphasizing the fact that a large majority of protesters on site last night were peaceful, calling on media to speak with those on the ground who have been organizing locally for years [which CL has done and plans to continue to do today].

At this press conference, leaders such as NC NAACP President Rev. William Barber stressed the diversity among peaceful protesters who now work with the Black Lives Matter movement and other similar organizations as a sign that the crisis, and the movement to fight against it, is growing.

While we were not able to transcribe that conference as we did the press conference quoted below, it can be watched in its entirety here.

At the Government Center, Putney and Roberts answered questions from reporters regarding the body camera footage of Keith Scott’s shooting, which sparked protests over the last two nights; a lack of preparation for last night’s protests; and whether law enforcement is ready for what could happen tonight following the declaration of a state of emergency late last night, which has brought troops from the National Guard and State Highway Patrol into the city.


The following are direct quotes from the press conference:

On the shooting of a protester in front of the Omni Hotel, reports of which as an act f violence between two protesters have been disputed by eyewitnesses, who believe an officer fired on the victim

Kerr Putney: At about 8:30 [p.m.] we had officers who responded to N. College Street and E. Trade Street for an assault with a deadly weapon call. One person was located with an apparent gunshot wound and he was located there in the Omni Hotel. Right now, that shooting victim is in critical condition. Due to concerns around security, the victim was evacuated by our Bearcat; our SWAT armored personnel carrier. We couldn’t get Medic in at the time because of the size of the crowd. The victim was then transferred to Medic and was transported to CMC Main as I said with life-threatening injuries.

At that point, because of the size of the crowd, we deployed gas and that would have been at about 8:43 p.m. The reason I say I’m not defending a position is, the shooting that took place, there’s a lot of information about who did that shooting. We’re reviewing video and we’re assessing our people who were there as well because an allegation was made that one of our officers might have been involved. As I said before guys ,we’re here to seek the truth so we’re investigating that to find the truth, the absolute truth, as best the evidence can show us.

On plans and strategy in the city today and tonight

Putney: We have a full complement of our civil emergency unit (CEU) ready to continue working to prevent violent crime, assaultive behavior and property crime as well. We have our officers assigned to foot patrol, bike patrol, the Enduro, dirtbikes, as well as patrolling in our mobile CEU vans. You will see a heavy uniformed presence, obviously. Our aviation unit will continue to be our eyes on the sky and give us an aerial view that we couldn’t have otherwise. We continue to use our real-time crime center to give us a technological advantage with roughly 1,000 cameras that help protect our cities.

As I said before, the National Guard and SHP will help us with infrastructure. They’ll help provide protection for our buildings so that we can avoid further damage. This allows us and my CMPD resources to focus on the people who are committing crimes; who are damaging property and assaulting our people. Despite this great commitment by state and local resources, we still need to lean on our greatest partners, our strongest asset, and that is our community. We ask that you continue to let us know when you see things that are happening that are inappropriate and when you see crimes occur. We appreciate that people are posting things that they see. Because I can tell you, we use those opportunities to fully investigate all crimes and all allegations relative to what goes on in a chaotic scene.

On why a state of emergency wasn’t called earlier in the day, so as to have more resources available

Jennifer Roberts: We were in conversation. I was in conversation with the governor early in the morning. During the day, the center city was peaceful. During the day, we had indication of peaceful protests. We saw some peaceful protests. We are a team here in Charlotte. I rely on my experts to give me the appropriate advice at the time for the appropriate resources that will be needed. I was in constant contact with the chief — chief of police, the fire chief, Medic, all the folks who are first responders. We were in constant contact. We made the decision collaboratively when those resources were needed at the appropriate time.

On when or if the city plans to release the body cam footage of Keith Scott’s shooting

Putney: When are we going to release it? Ultimately, our practice has been not to release, but to allow for the party who feels they’ve been mistreated in any way to see that. A request has come our way to do just that and we’re going to honor that request. But there are other things that are going on too about — just to be quite frank with you — whether there’s going to be an outside investigation. At that point, it would halt what we’re doing moving forward as far as releasing anything. Right now what we’re going to do is honor the request that has been made with the family, because it’s still in my purview to do so, but beyond that it’ll be much more collaborative.

There’s a difference between disclosure — allowing someone to see it, and that would be the party that feels they’ve been aggrieved — and released would be to the masses and that’s what I’m not going to do.

What I can tell you that I saw and I was very clear when I talked about this before, is the video does not give me absolute definitive visual evidence that would confirm that a person is pointing the gun. I did not see that in the videos that I reviewed. What I can tell you though is that when taken in the totality of all the other evidence, it supports what we’ve heard and the version of the truth that we gave about the circumstances that happened that led to the death of Mr. Scott.

On whether the CMPD would release it if they felt it would quell the potential for violence

Putney: I can tell you this, as I said yesterday, there’s your truth, my truth and the truth. Some people have already made up their mind what happened. We’ve given multiple facts and there will be an update later this afternoon about more additional information we’re getting. But that still doesn’t change the mindset and the perspective of some who want to break the law and tear down our city. So if there is compelling info that I think helps, we’ll show it, but again I’m going to be very intentional about protecting the integrity of the investigation, and in so doing, I’m not going to release the video.

We release it when we believe it is a compelling reason, but I’m not going to jeopardize the investigation. Right now, even though we’re investigating we probably won’t be long-term because a request has also been made that an objective party, the SBI (State Bureau of Investigations), move forward with the investigation. So we’re not going to release anything that would be on somebody else to release.

On how Putney can square his calls for transparency with his refusal to release the footage

Putney: I never said full transparency. I said transparency and transparency is in the eye of the beholder. I can tell you the party right now who really is my priority in honoring that request is the people who really are the victims of the shooting. So what I’m going to do is honor that request and I’ll tell you, if you think I say we should display a victim’s worst day for public consumption, that is not the transparency I’m speaking of.

On the potential for a curfew in the city

Putney: This designation allows for that. I don’t intend to use it unless it becomes an issue and we need to clear the streets sooner. It depends on what we encounter. I can’t tell you a definitive time. It’s going to depend on what we see and use that to better manage and allow for public safety.

Reporter: Why not just say everyone has to be off the streets at 8 p.m.?

Putney: We’ve done that in the past to when we saw the need. Right now we don’t see the need to shut the city down at a specific hour.

Reporter: After two nights of violence?

Putney: Yes ma’am, my answer doesn’t change. We don’t see a need to definitively shut the city down at a specific hour because we can’t anticipate. What we do know is we have the resources now to protect infrastructure and to be a lot more proactive in arresting people who commit criminal acts.

On what’s being done to prevent any more violence or destruction of property

Roberts: The resources that will be deployed [Note: Putney had stated at an earlier times that “several hundred more people” would be on the ground protecting infrastructure], the change in strategy and the continued collaboration with the community that we are determined. The safety of our citizens is our highest priority. We can look at experience, we can’t predict what will happen. There are many conversations going on in our community and again I applaud our community leaders. There are many efforts to reach out to the folks who are angry to get them to stand down. Even today while we’re speaking, I know of meetings that are ongoing right now where great leaders who have the trust and faith of their congregations and their communities and neighborhoods are having tough conversations and saying violence is not the answer.

Every situation is volatile and we will do as much as we can to ensure that safety. We cant guarantee not knowing what instance will happen, what groups will be gathered, but we have every confidence that we are going to put the resources in place that are required and needed And it is my sincere hope, I reach out to the comm. I ask for continued convo, all those leaders who have reached out to me personally, you are amazing in the message that you are carrying about nonviolence and I have faith that we will continue to progress.

Charlotte officials and community leaders held two separate press conferences this morning in response to the unrest that followed the shooting death of Keith Lamont Scott by a police officer in northeast Charlotte yesterday afternoon.

The incident has underscored a growing distrust between members of the community and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, as statements from the department have been either disputed or ignored by those who are calling for justice for Scott.

As CMPD Chief Kerr Putney has spent the morning reiterating the department’s original claim that Scott was holding a gun when he was shot, Scott’s neighbors — some of whom say they witnessed the shooting — continue to dispute those claims, stating that he was holding a book and not a gun.

Some of these witnesses have even claimed that the department lied about who shot Scott. The department has said that the officer in question was named Brentley Vinson. Neighbors who say they witnessed the shooting have said to reporters today that the officer was white, while Vinson is black.

At a press conference at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center this morning, Putney said that no book was found at the scene of the shooting, only a gun near Scott’s body. He said he has watched some of the body camera footage from three officers on the scene with Vinson at the time of the shooting — Vinson was not wearing a camera — but that he “cannot see in totality everything that occurred” during the incident.

At the press conference, Putney said no body camera footage or still picture from the footage can be released by law because it is still a part of the investigation, while Mayor Jennifer Roberts asked that the public “give us time to get the right information.” It’s doubtful that the footage will ever see the light of day, however, as Gov. Pat McCrory passed a law in July regulating the release of such footage.

Putney and Roberts spoke of the chance of more protests tonight, after 16 officers were injured during unrest that took place in the University area overnight. Roberts asked that folks stay calm while Putney ensured those at the government center that his officers would be ready for protests tonight. He also stated that more arrests might be made in connection to last night’s protests, in addition to the one already made, as his officers review video footage of the unrest that blocked off portions of Old Concord Road, Harris Boulevard and I-85.

Bottles, logs and dirt clods now being thrown pic.twitter.com/857UvKcLrZ

— Ryan Pitkin (@pitkin_ryan) September 21, 2016

“Our intent is to bring everyone to justice who violated the law,” he said. Multiple CMPD vehicles were damaged and one tractor trailer was broken into on I-85 while blocked by protesters.

During a press conference held by representatives of True Healing Under God (T.H.U.G.), John Barnett emphasized that it did not matter if Scott was armed during the time of the shooting, but only whether he pointed a gun at police. Putney had stated earlier in his press conference that he was unsure of whether Scott had pointed a gun, but that an armed person's body language and movements can be taken as a threat without that person necessarily pointing the weapon.

Barnett and others at the T.H.U.G. press conference, such as B.J. Murphy, called for an economic boycott by black people in the city of Charlotte, urging them only to spend their money at black-owned businesses.

“Take your money out of Northlake Mall, out of SouthPark Mall, out of EpiCentre,” Murphy said. “If black lives don’t matter then our dollars don’t either.”

At the end of the press conference, Barnett announced plans for a peaceful rally at Marshall Park at 7 p.m. tonight. There are rumors of other rallies and demonstrations throughout the city that have not yet been confirmed, but Creative Loafing will be following up on each of them. Follow on Twitter at @cl_charlotte.

Trafficking has long plagued the Carolinas, but it was a less than conventional form of the crime that caught the attention of the U.S. Department of Justice and resulted in federal charges being filed in Asheville’s U.S. District Court on Monday. The crime? Trafficking bear parts from western North Carolina. According to court documents, Vu Johnny Nguyen of Virginia made multiple trips to western Carolina in 2014, during which he was involved in the illegal black market barter of American black bear body parts and organs. Despite black bears being protected under multiple federal and state laws, reports suggest that there is demand for their parts — like gall bladders and bear claws — for use in traditional Asian medicine. Nguyen pleaded guilty in court Monday. His charges carry a maximum five year prison sentence, in addition to a fine of $250,000. 

😳 pic.twitter.com/ciEEJFL1Cj

— Ryan Pitkin (@pitkin_ryan) September 19, 2016

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It’s barely been two years since Olde Mecklenburg Brewery relocated to Yancey Road and opened their sprawling 8.5 acre biergarten and brewhouse, but the Charlotte brewery has apparently already outgrown the massive space. According to permits filed with Charlotte City Council, Olde Mecklenburg has plans to further expand the outdoor biergarten to 52,200 square-feet, and add a new 13,400 square-foot building on the back of the property, bordering South Tryon Street. The plans are a work in progress, but the brewery got the green light to move forward when city council voted unanimously to approve the rezoning last night.

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CMPD announced Monday that a man awaiting trial for felony charges is at large after removing an electronic monitoring device he was ordered to wear as a condition of his bond. Reports indicate that Damien Montrell Billy, 35, was near the 1100 block of E. 36th Street in NoDa prior to removing the monitoring device. Billy faces charges of assault with deadly weapon with the intent to kill, as well as multiple firearm related charges.

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CMPD has released the identities of three suspects who have been arrested and charged in connection to a series of armed car thefts and robberies that occurred earlier this month in Steele Creek. The suspects have been identified as China Montice Blount, 17; Jamaka Culbreath, 17; and Alexis Johnson, 16. According to reports, in the early morning hours of September 15th the suspects stole multiple vehicles at gunpoint. Two of the suspects were arrested and charged on Sunday, and the third suspect was arrested Monday. CMPD reveals that the suspects may face additional charges as the investigation remains open. 

Detectives with CMPD are investigating a homicide that took place this morning in northeast Charlotte. Officers responded to an assault call on Hubbard Road at 10:22 a.m. and found a man suffering from an apparent gunshot wound, according to a release. The victim was pronounced dead on the scene. It is believed that the victim and suspect are known to one another, although police have not yet released the name of either. 

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Police announced yesterday that Mollie Bentley, a 16-year-old autistic girl who went missing on Wednesday, has been found safe and reunited with her family. On Wednesday, CMPD sent out an alert asking for assistance in finding Bentley after she left her north Charlotte home following an argument with a family member and couldn't be found. 

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More than 200 volunteers are expected to come together tomorrow to build a playground at Hope Haven, a housing complex for chemically dependent adults and families. The playground's design is based on children's drawings created at a special Hope Haven event in July. The MetLife Foundation is funding the playground. 

"A playground is more than a playground. It’s a brain-expander, friend-maker and muscle-builder. Play is central to a child’s ability to grow into a productive adult. It can transform children from sedentary, bored and solitary to physically, mentally and socially active," read a press release announcing the event, which starts tomorrow at 8:30 a.m. and lasts until the ribbon-cutting between 2:30-3:00 p.m. "The new playground will bring more than 350 kids in Charlotte one step closer to having the play-filled childhood they deserve. In building this playspace together, we are making it easier for all kids to get balanced and active play and making Charlotte more playable." 

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It's not quite as cool as driving Jon Voight's car, but a piece of Charlotte history has recently gone up for sale in south Charlotte. The first home designed by Harvey Gantt back in 1970, before he served as Charlotte's first African-American mayor or had a museum named after him in Uptown, is now on the market. 


Gantt, who would go on to found Gantt Huberman just a year later, reportedly drew up the house plans for the home at 4221 LaBrea Drive in the historic Hyde Park neighborhood from his kitchen table. Hyde Park was one of the first upper-class neighborhoods established by African-Americans in the country. There will be an open house at the home on Sunday, September 25, from 3 to 5 p.m. 

A vigil is planned this evening on the anniversary of Jonathan Ferrell's shooting death at the hands of then-CMPD officer Randall Kerrick in 2013. Mourners will gather at 7 p.m. at Marshall Park in Uptown Charlotte. 

Ferrell was shot by Kerrick after he wrecked his car in a neighborhood in northeast Charlotte. He went to a neighbor's home for help, but the woman called the police. When officers arrived, Ferrell ran towards Kerrick and was shot 10 times. Ferrell was unarmed and two other officers on the scene never unholstered their weapons. Kerrick was charged with voluntary manslaughter but a judge later declared a mistrial in the case after the jury became deadlocked. 

Below is an invitation to tonight's vigil posted on social media by organizers. 


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A 17-year-old boy was arrested in southeast Charlotte today after shooting at a school bus with a BB gun, shattering a window. Nobody was injured in the incident. According to a CMPD release, there were 47 children on board the bus at the time of the incident. The driver had originally called in a report of being shot at, but an investigation found that it was not a real gun. The suspect was found in a residence about a block from where the incident happened. The bus was on the way to Idlewild Elementary School. 

CMPD says 17-year old with BB gun shot at school bus with kids onboard, shattering a window. Here's a BB at scene pic.twitter.com/wwJnOHCIQs

— Dan Yesenosky (@WCNCDanY) September 14, 2016

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CMPD has identified the victim of a homicide on Monday night as 40-year-old Louis Fuqua. Fuqua was found dead of an apparent gunshot wound on Clanton Road on Monday night just before midnight. No arrests have been made in the case and police ask anyone with information to call 704-432-TIPS and ask for the lead detective in the case, Detective Grande. 

A man walking 648 miles from Atlanta to Washington D.C. to raise awareness for poverty is passing through Charlotte today. Terence Lester began his walk on August 20, beginning from the spot where Martin Luther King, Jr. began his March on Washington.

Throughout his journey, Lester has been documenting the stories of folks living in poverty in the towns he's passed through, doing so through his organization's Facebook and Instagram pages. He often speaks alone directly into his phone to give his insights into the people he's met on his march and what he's learned.

Lester is walking for Love Beyond Walls, a nonprofit that serves 400 to 500 people people each month through various missions like free laundry rooms, mobile makeovers and food pantries. 

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CMPD is investigating a murder that occurred just before midnight last night on Clanton Road in south Charlotte. Officers responded to an assault call on the 500 block of Clanton Road at 11:44 p.m. and found a male suffering from a gunshot wound. The victim was pronounced dead on the scene. The victim's name will be released pending notification of the family, and the investigation into who killed him is still ongoing. 

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The NCAA became the most recent organization to pull its money from North Carolina due to House Bill 2 last night, announcing that it will no longer hold seven championship events planned for the state during the 2016-17 academic school year. 

“Fairness is about more than the opportunity to participate in college sports, or even compete for championships,” Mark Emmert, NCAA president, said in a statement released by the NCAA Board of Governors. “We believe in providing a safe and respectful environment at our events and are committed to providing the best experience possible for college athletes, fans and everyone taking part in our championships."

In a response that proved just how out of touch the NCGOP has become, spokeswoman Kami Mueller fell back on familiar myths pushed by those in support of HB2, claiming that women and children were made safer by the law, while also introducing new leaps in logic to the conversation, drawing lines between the NCAA's decision and rape cases at Baylor University, calling the decision "an assault to female athletes everywhere." 

Here's the NC GOP response to losing NCAA tournament games bc of #HB2 - and yes, this is real:#ncpol pic.twitter.com/Df25WdHUEd

— Sen. Jeff Jackson (@JeffJacksonNC) September 13, 2016