Hillary Clinton Calls on Charlotte Police to Release Shooting Video
The presidential candidate weighed in today.
-- Hillary Clinton has added her name to the growing list of people calling on police in Charlotte to release video of the shooting death of Keith Lamont Scott.
Clinton had initially planned to visit Charlotte on Sunday, but her campaign announced on Friday night that she was postponing her trip to the following Sunday.
"After further discussion with community leaders, we have decided to postpone Sunday's trip as to not impact the City's resources," communications director Jennifer Palmieri said in a statement. "She will plan to visit Charlotte next Sunday, provided circumstances allow."
Scott was fatally shot by officers on Tuesday and police reportedly have video that shows that he was holding a gun, though it is unclear if he was pointing a gun in their direction.
Scott's family has said he was holding a book, not a gun, while waiting for his son to be dropped off from school. After reviewing the footage, the family's attorney said in a statement that it's "impossible" to detect what Scott is holding and at no point did Scott appear or act aggressively.
"After watching the videos, the family again has more questions than answers," Justin Bamberg, a lawyer representing Scott's family, said in the statement Thursday. "When told by police to exit his vehicle, Mr. Scott did so in a very calm, non-aggressive manner. While police did give him several commands, he did not aggressively approach them or raise his hands at members of law enforcement at any time. It is impossible to discern from the videos what, if anything, Mr. Scott is holding in his hands."
Family members were privately shown the police video, and they want it to be released publicly.
Law enforcement officials have said that they intend to release the video but have not determined the appropriate timing.
The city's mayor and police chief have said they believe that the video should be released but suggested that if it was released too soon it could impact the ongoing investigation. The State Bureau of Investigation is leading the investigation.
Scott's family released footage shot by his wife that shows his confrontation with police officers and the moments before the shooting as well as the aftermath, but it does not show the shooting itself.