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23 Sep, 2016 01:48

Curfew set on 3rd night of Charlotte protests against police killing of Keith Scott

Curfew set on 3rd night of Charlotte protests against police killing of Keith Scott

Protesters marched through the streets of uptown Charlotte for the third night in a row Thursday, with local and state police, along with National Guard troops, staking out positions in anticipation of more violence. A curfew has been set for midnight.

Charlotte Mayor Jennifer Roberts signed the midnight curfew order Thursday evening, with the City of Charlotte later tweeting, "The curfew will be in effect each day until the end of the State of Emergency is declared or until the official proclamation is revoked."

At midnight, despite the curfew, protesters remained jubilant, or angry, but peaceful. Some could be heard shouting "Hands up, don't shoot!" and "No justice, no peace!"

Still, they prepared for the worst, distributing milk, water and bread, in case of riot police using tear gas or pepper spray, Cleve Wootson of the Washington Post tweeted.

Meanwhile, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department tweeted out that two of its officers were being treated by emergency medical teams "after they were sprayed w a chemical agent by demonstrators." 

Pushing the limit of the midnight curfew, a crowd remained at the Epicentre shopping mall with 15 minutes remaining.

As the curfew neared, with less than a half-hour remaining, the protests appeared to clear somewhat, while many made their way to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department headquarters. There, protesters held a "die-in."

With just 90 minutes remaining before the curfew was set to be enforced, when remaining protesters would face the risk of arrest, protesters made their way to Interstate-277 and Interstate-85.

Joe Bruno, reporter with WSOC, tweeted photos of protesters shutting down I-277. There, they met with riot police, who fired rubber bullets and tear gas. SWAT vehicles were also on the highway. This moment stood out as the most escalated of the evening, notably more peaceful than Wednesday night's demonstrations.

CMPD is refusing to release video of the fatal police shooting of Keith Scott, which occurred Monday. Family members have been allowed to view the footage, and they have come out demanding its public release.

Police claim the video shows Scott with a gun, while relatives say it is inconclusive. Mayor Roberts has said she would like to see police release the video, but also not until it no longer poses a risk to interfering with their investigation.

With Scott still the central figure in the demonstrators' cause, there was also a brief moment of silence among the crowd for Justin Carr, a protester who was shot Wednesday night and died earlier Thursday. It is a matter of dispute between police and witnesses as to what and how exactly Carr was shot.

READ MORE: Eyewitnesses scrutinize police account of Charlotte protester’s death (EXCLUSIVE) 

Chants varied throughout the night, from the familiar "No justice, no peace" to the new "Justice for Justin" and "We want the tapes."

Protests reached the CMPD headquarters as well as a nearby county jail, where inmates were cheered for flashing on and off lights in the facility.

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