Citizen’s Review Board: ‘Substantial Evidence Of Error’ In Charlotte Officer Shooting

CHARLOTTE, NC -- Charlotte’s Citizen Review Board is questioning Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s internal review finding that the officer who shot and killed Keith Lamont Scott in September was justified, according to reports.

Scott’s family made a formal appeal to the CRB June 27, asking the watchdog body that handles complaints against police department actions, such as use of force, review CMPD’s verdict.

Scott, 43, was shot and killed Sept. 20, 2016 after getting in an argument with CMPD officers who were at his apartment complex attempting to serve an arrest warrant for another resident. The incident at The Village at College Downs apartments on Concord Road was videoed by Scott’s wife.

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Members of the CRB deliberated for about an hour Tuesday, and found there was “substantial evidence of error,” in the CMPD’s assessment the shooting of Scott was justified, The Charlotte Observer reported. The officer who shot Scott told CMPD investigators following the shooting he did so because he felt his life was in danger. The CRB will reconvene August 8 to view additional evidence and hold a hearing for the case, which could potentially lead to the body recommending CMPD change its findings, the Observer said.

The newspaper noted, however, that such a recommendation would be deviation from the CRB's history. Four years ago, the Observer reviewed the 79 cases heard by CRB since it's inception in 1997 and revealed it had never sided with a citizen complaint.

Wednesday morning, CMPD defended its internal review process, saying investigations made by the State Bureau of Investigation and District Attorney were very thorough.

Following Scott’s death in September, marchers took to the streets over the course of several days of violent protests in Charlotte.

In March, CMPD determined Officer Brentley Vinson had followed department procedures leading up to the shooting, and based upon interview reviews, will not be disciplined, The Charlotte Observer reported.

“The family strongly believes that officer Vinson’s use of deadly force was in violation of the department’s policy,” Scott family attorney, Charles Monnett III, told WBTV “So it’s difficult for us to understand how the internal affairs review board could have come to this conclusion,” he said.

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