http://m.wbtv.com/wbtv/db/330726/content/Wr6Vy8NZ
Jun 27, 2017 09:01 PM
CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) - Charlotte's Citizen Review Board has sided with the family of Keith Lamont Scott in their appeal of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department's finding that an officer was justified in killing Scott last September.
A lawyer for Scott's family appeared before the board Tuesday to appeal CMPD's finding. The department determined in March that Officer Brentley Vinson followed proper procedures when he fatally shot Scott during a Sept. 20 confrontation outside a University City apartment complex, and will not be disciplined.
PREVIOUS: CMPD officer won’t face internal discipline in fatal shooting of Keith Lamont Scott
Scott family attorney, Charles Monnett, III said he was pleased for the opportunity to present their case to the CRB. The presentation happened in a closed-door meeting which took nearly an hour-and-a-half. A representative from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police made a presentation to the Board afterward.
The findings by CMPD after an internal review were sent to the wife of Keith Scott. The report says Officer Brentley Vinson "acted lawfully and in accordance with Department policy" in the deadly September shooting outside a University City apartment complex.
Scott, 43, was killed when police were serving a warrant at The Village at College Downs apartment complex on Old Concord Road.
The letter gives more detail about Vinson's actions the day Scott was killed.
The letter states Officer Vinson said, "I felt like if I didn't do anything right then at that point, it's like he... he was gonna shoot me or he's gonna shoot one of my buddies and it was gonna happen right now, so I reacted. I was the only one that had a decent backdrop."
The letter was signed by CMPD Chief Kerr Putney and Major Estella Patterson with the Internal Affairs Bureau.
DOCUMENT: Click here to read the five-page report obtained by The Charlotte Observer
CMPD’s decision means that an internal review has found that Vinson shouldn’t face termination, suspension or other severe disciplines.
The CRB sided with the family in an 8-2 vote, stating there was evidence of "potential error" regarding CMPD's decision.
An autopsy, released by the Mecklenburg County Medical Examiner, shows that Scott was killed by gunshot wounds to the posterior left chest and left abdomen.
PREVIOUS ARTICLE: Medical examiner releases official autopsy in Keith Lamont Scott shooting
"After a thorough review, it is my conclusion that Officer Vinson acted lawfully in shooting Scott on September 20, 2016," District Attorney Andrew Murray announced in November.
Monnett told WBTV the Scott family is disappointed.
"The family strongly believes that Officer Vinson's use of deadly force was in violation of the department's policy. So it's difficult for us to understand how the internal affairs review board could have come to this conclusion," he said.
The Board has considered several dozen appeals since its inception in 1997. In every case before Tuesday's Scott hearing, it has ruled in favor of police. The Board has also made recommendations in certain cases on how CMPD could improve policy on issues like body camera usage, said CRB Counsel Julian Wright.
Since 2013, Charlotte City Council has made incremental changes to Board oversight aimed at increasing accountability and providing more investigative materials to the Board.
An evidentiary hearing will be held on August 8 to dig deeper into the case.
Copyright 2017 WBTV. All rights reserved.
Jun 27, 2017 09:01 PM
CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) - Charlotte's Citizen Review Board has sided with the family of Keith Lamont Scott in their appeal of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department's finding that an officer was justified in killing Scott last September.
A lawyer for Scott's family appeared before the board Tuesday to appeal CMPD's finding. The department determined in March that Officer Brentley Vinson followed proper procedures when he fatally shot Scott during a Sept. 20 confrontation outside a University City apartment complex, and will not be disciplined.
PREVIOUS: CMPD officer won’t face internal discipline in fatal shooting of Keith Lamont Scott
Scott family attorney, Charles Monnett, III said he was pleased for the opportunity to present their case to the CRB. The presentation happened in a closed-door meeting which took nearly an hour-and-a-half. A representative from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police made a presentation to the Board afterward.
The findings by CMPD after an internal review were sent to the wife of Keith Scott. The report says Officer Brentley Vinson "acted lawfully and in accordance with Department policy" in the deadly September shooting outside a University City apartment complex.
Scott, 43, was killed when police were serving a warrant at The Village at College Downs apartment complex on Old Concord Road.
The letter gives more detail about Vinson's actions the day Scott was killed.
The letter states Officer Vinson said, "I felt like if I didn't do anything right then at that point, it's like he... he was gonna shoot me or he's gonna shoot one of my buddies and it was gonna happen right now, so I reacted. I was the only one that had a decent backdrop."
The letter was signed by CMPD Chief Kerr Putney and Major Estella Patterson with the Internal Affairs Bureau.
DOCUMENT: Click here to read the five-page report obtained by The Charlotte Observer
CMPD’s decision means that an internal review has found that Vinson shouldn’t face termination, suspension or other severe disciplines.
The CRB sided with the family in an 8-2 vote, stating there was evidence of "potential error" regarding CMPD's decision.
An autopsy, released by the Mecklenburg County Medical Examiner, shows that Scott was killed by gunshot wounds to the posterior left chest and left abdomen.
PREVIOUS ARTICLE: Medical examiner releases official autopsy in Keith Lamont Scott shooting
"After a thorough review, it is my conclusion that Officer Vinson acted lawfully in shooting Scott on September 20, 2016," District Attorney Andrew Murray announced in November.
Monnett told WBTV the Scott family is disappointed.
"The family strongly believes that Officer Vinson's use of deadly force was in violation of the department's policy. So it's difficult for us to understand how the internal affairs review board could have come to this conclusion," he said.
The Board has considered several dozen appeals since its inception in 1997. In every case before Tuesday's Scott hearing, it has ruled in favor of police. The Board has also made recommendations in certain cases on how CMPD could improve policy on issues like body camera usage, said CRB Counsel Julian Wright.
Since 2013, Charlotte City Council has made incremental changes to Board oversight aimed at increasing accountability and providing more investigative materials to the Board.
An evidentiary hearing will be held on August 8 to dig deeper into the case.
Copyright 2017 WBTV. All rights reserved.