Authorities have determined that the shooting death of Keith Lamont Scott at the hands of Officer Brentley Vinson was justified, dismissing all charges against the police official, Charlotte-Observer reports.
Mecklenburg County District Attorney Andrew Murray also adds that “all the credible evidence” present at the scene gave Vinson, 26, justified his reason to shoot Scott. According to the officer, the 43-year-old was allegedly armed with a handgun when he approached his vehicle on that Sept. 20 day.
Rakeyia Scott captured cell phone footage of officers surrounding her husband’s van, stating that he didn’t have a gun, but a traumatic brain injury which resulted after a motorcycle accident. Footage of the scene was slow to make it to public viewing, which led followers of the story to believe that law enforcement was trying to cover up their tracks. Recorded on a dashcam, you can see Scott leave his car and walks backward toward officers., but a visual of a gun within Scott’s possession was not evident. He was shot four times.
Murray also met with Scott’s family before the decision was announced. “As you can imagine, it was a difficult discussion. However, the family was extremely gracious,” Murray said. “No one, and I mean no one, should ever experience, let alone witness, the violent death of a loved one.”