As fiery protests in Charlotte, N.C., stretch into the third day, North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory has issued a state of emergency, activating the National Guard to "assist local law enforcement" in silencing protests that exploded in the wake of police fatally shooting Keith Lamont Scott, 43.
As previously reported by The Root:
By early Wednesday morning, protesters had shut down traffic on Interstate 85. Some civilians were seen on camera taking items out of the backs of tractor trailers and setting them on fire in the middle of the highway, WSOC-TV reported.
Police report that 12 officers were injured during the protests, with one of them being hit in the face with a rock. At least seven people were transported from the scene of the protests and treated for non-life-threatening injuries, the Charlotte Observer tweeted.
Late Wednesday night, the city of Charlotte and Police Chief Kerr Putney stated that a man was fatally shot during the protests. The city of Charlotte later retracted its statement. The victim is currently in critical condition and on life support.
Though the official report is that a police officer did not shoot the victim, several protesters have claimed the opposite. In one video of the incident, a man can be heard screaming to police, "You shot another one of us!"
We have not been able to confirm either report.