Shots rang out in the heart of Charlotte’s business and entertainment districts Wednesday night when thousands of protesters shut down the area to protest the death of Keith Lamont Scott, a black man killed Tuesday by a police officer.
Police in riot gear moved slowly up Trade Street as uptown Charlotte was blocked by protesters. An explosion was heard, and bottles and rocks were thrown at the police.
North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory declared a state of emergency in the city. Police said one person had been wounded — a civilian shot by a civilian.
Protesters at one point took over a popular outdoor mall similar to Atlanta’s Atlantic Station, where volunteers handed out white handkerchiefs in anticipation of tear gas.
Once the tear gas came, protesters ran shrieking down Trade Street.
Firefighters rushed in to pull the man to a waiting ambulance, the AP said.
Officers on bicycles surrounded a pool of blood on the ground and a tense standoff ensued as police fired small canisters of tear gas into the protesters, the AP reported.
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