Charlotte officer won’t be charged for September shooting

Charlotte-Mecklenburg District Attorney Andrew Murray announced today he will not press charges against the police officer who shot Keith Lamont Scott in September. The shooting sparked several nights of violent protests in the city. But in a 40-minute news conference, Murray laid out detailed evidence to support his 15-member team’s decision. Scott’s family said he did not have a gun, but security footage before the incident showed what appeared to be a weapon holstered on Scott’s ankle. Police at the scene recovered a Colt .380-caliber semi-automatic handgun, which tested positive for Scott’s DNA. They also released text messages between Scott and his wife, in which she warned him having the gun could get him sent back to prison. Murray pleaded with people to review and digest the complete report, posted online, before jumping to any conclusions: “Please do not act viscerally on news snippets.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.