Authorities in North Carolina, an open carry state, will not charge a Charlotte police officer for fatally shooting the 43-year-old Keith Lamont Scott in September.
On Wednesday, the district attorney went into meticulous detail over the events prior to the shooting without releasing the full video footage of the scene or commenting on the victim walking backward. No witness testimony pointed to Mr Scott actually aiming the weapon toward police.
"I know some are going to be frustrated," Mecklenburg County District Attorney Andrew Murray told reporters before saying the office was justified in shooting him.
Immediately following the shooting, protests broke out across the city and country, fueling the criticism against the use of deadly force against African-Americans.
"We took a lot of painstaking effort to make certain that there was no personal bias in the review. Public opinion did not factor in our determination,” Attorney Murray said in his decision. “I'd like the community to take a collective pause.”
