Police have closed portions of uptown Charlotte on Wednesday night after a series of gunshots were fired. One man has reportedly been shot.
There are conflicting reports as to whether the protester who was shot is dead or alive.
The protests are the second night where the North Carolina city has erupted after a man, Keith Lamont Scott, was shot by police after he allegedly was carrying a gun. Some have–mistakenly according to police–believed that Scott had a book, not a gun, in his vehicle when a police officer shot him. But authorities have said that they confiscated a gun–and didn’t find a book–in the vehicle.
The first night of protests saw many police officers injured, and now this second night has seen a protester shot–according to police by another protester.
The crowd is protesting the Tuesday, Sept. 20 police shooting of Keith Lamont Smith. Police say he was shot and killed after he produced a gun during a meeting with police. Local activists say Smith was shot outside his car while holding a book, and that he was no danger to the police because he was disabled.
This is the second round of street protests, which broke out Wednesday night. Breitbart News is reporting the news from protests as it happens.
Follow along here for live updates:
UPDATE 1:24 A.M.
All of this comes after earlier in the day in phone calls with the mayors of Charlotte and of Tulsa, Oklahoma, President Obama apparently urged peaceful protests–per his senior adviser Valerie Jarrett:
.@POTUS expresses his concern to @MayorBartlett and@CLTMayor during this challenging time
UPDATE 1:22 A.M.
This video from a Facebook user appears to show the scene where a gunshot was fired. Toward the end of the clip, a loud shot is heard and then the person shooting the video starts moving away quickly from the scene.
UPDATE 12:50 A.M.
Hillary Rodham Clinton, the Democratic nominee for president, just announced through a Democratic National Committee press release–without any explanation–that a press call Democrats had planned to work with the black community is now canceled.
“Hillary Clinton knows that HBCUs are an engine of opportunity for students of color and that they have made huge contributions our country. She understands the long standing significance of HBCUs for black students and their families and has real policies to address college affordability and ensure that HBCUs not only survive – but thrive,” the Democratic National Committee had previously said in an announcement of a press call. “By contrast, Donald Trump has no plans, and he has only insults for the African-American community. He trafficks in offensive stereotypes, talks down to African Americans day after day on the campaign trail, and wants to eliminate the Department of Education, which would mean eliminating college aid for millions of students, including HBCU enrollees.”
The press call was supposed to include Assistant Democratic House Leader Rep. Ji
