Violent Protests Break Out in Charlotte Following Fatal Shooting

Violent Protests Break Out in Charlotte Following Fatal Shooting

Overnight protests in Charlotte, North Carolina led law enforcement to suit up in self-defense riot gear, disperse tear gas and more when the demonstration turned violent, injuring 16 police officers.

The protests broke out Tuesday, Sept. 20 after 43-year-old Keith Lamont Scott was fatally shot by a black officer at an apartment complex on the city’s northeast side. Police had been dispatched to the area in search of a suspect they had an arrest warrant for.

According to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Kerr Putney, police approached Scott giving him loud, clear verbal commands to exit his car. When he did so, he brandished a gun, threatening the officers. One officer, a black man, discharged his weapon once hitting Scott. Officers immediately called for paramedics and began the CPR process on Scott but he later succumbed to his injury.

A Facebook post written by a woman claiming to be Scotts daughter asserted that Scott had been shot while unarmed, sitting in his car reading a book. The Associated Press and other news sources have been unable to verify the authenticity of this post.

“"It's time to change the narrative.” Chief Putney said during a press conference on Wednesday morning. “I can tell you from the facts; the story is different than what has been portrayed through social media."

Police revealed at the press conference that a gun had been recovered from the scene of the shooting and they were unable to find evidence that a book was present.

Tuesday night, a large group of demonstrators gathered near the scene of the shooting. The police tweeted that the demonstrators were destroying marked police vehicles and that approximately 12 officers had been injured at the time. One police officer sustained injuries to the face after rock was thrown at him.

Photos and TV video show police firing tear gas to break up the crowd. Chief Putney explained that officers were unable to calm the crowd and no matter what tactics they used, they continued to push through the police lines, causing them to disperse the tear gas.

The unrest comes just hours after Tulsa Police Department released footage of the shooting of Terence Crutcher, an unarmed black man who was shot and killed last week.

Featured

  • Report: 47 Percent of Security Service Providers Are Not Yet Using AI or Automation Tools

    Trackforce, a provider of security workforce management platforms, today announced the launch of its 2025 Physical Security Operations Benchmark Report, an industry-first study that benchmarks both private security service providers and corporate security teams side by side. Based on a survey of over 300 security professionals across the globe, the report provides a comprehensive look at the state of physical security operations. Read Now

    • Guard Services
  • Identity Governance at the Crossroads of Complexity and Scale

    Modern enterprises are grappling with an increasing number of identities, both human and machine, across an ever-growing number of systems. They must also deal with increased operational demands, including faster onboarding, more scalable models, and tighter security enforcement. Navigating these ever-growing challenges with speed and accuracy requires a new approach to identity governance that is built for the future enterprise. Read Now

  • Eagle Eye Networks Launches AI Camera Gun Detection

    Eagle Eye Networks, a provider of cloud video surveillance, recently introduced Eagle Eye Gun Detection, a new layer of protection for schools and businesses that works with existing security cameras and infrastructure. Eagle Eye Networks is the first to build gun detection into its platform. Read Now

  • Report: AI is Supercharging Old-School Cybercriminal Tactics

    AI isn’t just transforming how we work. It’s reshaping how cybercriminals attack, with threat actors exploiting AI to mass produce malicious code loaders, steal browser credentials and accelerate cloud attacks, according to a new report from Elastic. Read Now

  • Pragmatism, Productivity, and the Push for Accountability in 2025-2026

    Every year, the security industry debates whether artificial intelligence is a disruption, an enabler, or a distraction. By 2025, that conversation matured, where AI became a working dimension in physical identity and access management (PIAM) programs. Observations from 2025 highlight this turning point in AI’s role in access control and define how security leaders are being distinguished based on how they apply it. Read Now

New Products

  • EasyGate SPT and SPD

    EasyGate SPT SPD

    Security solutions do not have to be ordinary, let alone unattractive. Having renewed their best-selling speed gates, Cominfo has once again demonstrated their Art of Security philosophy in practice — and confirmed their position as an industry-leading manufacturers of premium speed gates and turnstiles.

  • Unified VMS

    AxxonSoft introduces version 2.0 of the Axxon One VMS. The new release features integrations with various physical security systems, making Axxon One a unified VMS. Other enhancements include new AI video analytics and intelligent search functions, hardened cybersecurity, usability and performance improvements, and expanded cloud capabilities

  • HD2055 Modular Barricade

    Delta Scientific’s electric HD2055 modular shallow foundation barricade is tested to ASTM M50/P1 with negative penetration from the vehicle upon impact. With a shallow foundation of only 24 inches, the HD2055 can be installed without worrying about buried power lines and other below grade obstructions. The modular make-up of the barrier also allows you to cover wider roadways by adding additional modules to the system. The HD2055 boasts an Emergency Fast Operation of 1.5 seconds giving the guard ample time to deploy under a high threat situation.