Protests remain peaceful outside Charlotte Panthers game

Demonstrators form a human chain outside of Bank of America Stadium before an NFL football game between the Charlotte Panthers and the Minnesota Vikings September 25, 2016 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Protests have disrupted the city since Tuesday night following the shooting of 43-year-old Keith Lamont Scott at an apartment complex near UNC Charlotte. AFP

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina — Nightly protests have shaken the city of Charlotte since the shooting death of a black man by police last week, but the NFL game between the Carolina Panthers and the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday (Monday Manila time) managed to open without interruption.

A group of around 100 demonstrators gathered across the street from Bank of America Stadium to keep up the pressure in the aftermath of the death of Keith Lamont Scott. The 43-year-old man was shot and killed Tuesday after a confrontation with Charlotte police. Five nights of protests followed, two of them violent.

On Sunday, protesters led by a man with a bullhorn across the street from Bank of America Stadium were surrounded by at least two dozen police officers on bicycles. Their message competed with the noise of fans streaming toward the stadium and an impromptu jazz band playing tunes less than a block away.

When the national anthem was played, the protesters all dropped to one knee as many NFL players have been doing for weeks to call attention to issues, including police shootings. Inside the stadium, Carolina safety Marcus Ball raised his fist during the anthem.

Video footage released Saturday by police of the incident hasn’t settled questions about whether Scott threatened authorities with a gun before he was felled by a black officer. Police Chief Kerr Putney said Saturday that Scott was “absolutely in possession of a handgun,” adding that, while officers didn’t break the law, the State Bureau of Investigation continues to pursue the case.

While police say Scott had a gun, residents contend he was unarmed. It’s not apparent in the video if he’s holding anything shortly before he was shot. The dramatic video released by Charlotte police shows officers with guns drawn surrounding the man just before the shooting.

Police also released photos on Saturday of what they said was a loaded handgun found at the scene, adding it bore Scott’s DNA and fingerprints. They also said Scott had marijuana.

In the police vehicle dashboard camera video released Saturday night, Scott could be seen slowly backing away from his SUV with his hands down. Four shots are heard in quick succession, and he crumples to the ground mortally wounded.

Police also released photos on Saturday of what they said was a loaded handgun found at the scene, adding it bore Scott’s DNA and fingerprints. They also said Scott had marijuana.

After the dashboard camera and police body-cam videos were released, a fifth day of protests against Scott’s fatal shooting was largely peaceful. Police blocked off downtown streets late into the night as they had throughout the day, allowing demonstrators to take over roadways without confrontations with vehicles.

Away from the marching, others said the videos increased their doubt about the police explanation that Scott’s shooting was necessary and justified. Reda Burch, one of the dozens of people who stopped by a makeshift memorial near the site where Scott died, said she has watched the police videos and doesn’t think Scott was threatening officers or that the shooting was justified.

“If he had a gun in his hand, I couldn’t see it. If he had one, he never raised it,” Burch said Sunday afternoon. “His hands never left his side. So no, I don’t see a reason to kill him.”

The videos changed the mind of Stacey Sizemore, who said that she worked in human resources for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department before leaving about six years ago. She said she knows police officers strive to protect the public, but the videos put new doubt into her mind that the shooting was necessary.

“If you’re backing up, that’s saying you don’t want a fight. You don’t want a confrontation. So that’s the part that, kind of, didn’t make it better for me.”

Relatives and their attorney have also said what they saw on the partial police video footage left them wondering why Scott was killed.

“What we know and what you should know about him is that he was an American citizen who deserved better,” said Ray Dotch, Scott’s brother-in-law.

Charlotte has been on edge ever since Scott’s death. The demonstrations reached a violent crescendo Wednesday before the National Guard was called in a day later to maintain order. Forty-four people were arrested after Wednesday’s protests, and one protester who was shot died at a hospital Thursday. City officials said police did not shoot 26-year-old Justin Carr, and a suspect was arrested. A police report said Carr had been shot in the head.

The next three nights of protests were free of property damage and violence, with organizers stressing a message of peace at the end of the week. Mayor Jennifer Roberts lifted a curfew on the city Sunday evening.

Charlotte is the latest U.S. city to be shaken by protests and recriminations over the death of a black man at the hands of police, a list that includes Baltimore, Milwaukee, Chicago, New York and Ferguson, Missouri.