The problem with the killing in Charlotte is that it didn't happen in a vacuum. It is standard procedure for police to call on family members to talk down a person from drastic actions. That was happening voluntarily within this episode.
The mental health of Keith Scott is as much a part of this killing as the fact his wife was seeking to intervene to end the stand off.
The police have created a horrible paradigm in the USA with the African American community fearing for their sons. There are African American men arming themselves UNDER THE CURRENT LAWS to give them a chance of survive if they are stopped by police. The reality Mr. Scott has before him was the fact he could die for no real reason. The stance by the Charlotte District Attorney is unhelpful.
It is my opinion, the more black men die at the hand of police, the more ambushes of police officers will occur.
Mr. Scott posed no threat to the police and the circumstances could have been diffused. That is what the men in our African American community are seeing. They are witnessing the death of an innocent man unable to deter a police assault even by showing them his gun in a non-threatening manner.
Additionally, the officers never recognized the family member that could have been helpful in defusing the circumstances.
The Charlotte DA is talking from one point of view in defense of the police. That is not what the African American community is seeing. They are seeing an unnecessary death.
The deaths of minority men by police officers is completely incompetent use of force in police tactics. This episode has occurred over and over in the USA and it is becoming tragic to both the minority men and their families and police officers as well. The policing of the USA has to change.
The reality is the police are becoming more than dysfunctional because of these deaths. Chicago crime statistics are increasing because the police can't deal with the public effectively. That is not the fault of the police or the public, but, the value of life is skewed in police methodology.
Get real about this people because the relationship between the minority public and community police is already deteriorated. The more the relationship deteriorates the more escalation of violence on both sides will increase.