***LIVEWIRE*** Watch: Street Clashes in Charlotte, N.C., After Police Shooting

CHARLOTTE, NC - SEPTEMBER 21: With blood covering her hand and arm, a woman points at a po
Sean Rayford/Getty Images
Breitbart News

Police have closed portions of uptown Charlotte on Wednesday night after a series of gunshots were fired. One man has reportedly been shot.

There are conflicting reports as to whether the protester who was shot is dead or alive.

The protests are the second night where the North Carolina city has erupted after a man, Keith Lamont Scott, was shot by police after he allegedly was carrying a gun. Some have–mistakenly according to police–believed that Scott had a book, not a gun, in his vehicle when a police officer shot him. But authorities have said that they confiscated a gun–and didn’t find a book–in the vehicle.

The first night of protests saw many police officers injured, and now this second night has seen a protester shot–according to police by another protester.

The crowd is protesting the Tuesday, Sept. 20 police shooting of Keith Lamont Smith. Police say he was shot and killed after he produced a gun during a meeting with police. Local activists say Smith was shot outside his car while holding a book, and that he was no danger to the police because he was disabled.

This is the second round of street protests, which broke out Wednesday night. Breitbart News is reporting the news from protests as it happens.

Follow along here for live updates:

UPDATE 9:03 A.M.

The NYTimes’ video report:

UPDATE 8:59 A.M.

UPDATE 8:53 A.M.

More videos captured on social media last night:

UPDATE 1:24 A.M.

All of this comes after earlier in the day in phone calls with the mayors of Charlotte and of Tulsa, Oklahoma, President Obama apparently urged peaceful protests–per his senior adviser Valerie Jarrett:

UPDATE 1:22 A.M.

This video from a Facebook user appears to show the scene where a gunshot was fired. Toward the end of the clip, a loud shot is heard and then the person shooting the video starts moving away quickly from the scene.

Non violent protest turns violent in Charlotte, gun shot fired and a man was killed.

Posted by Molly Stahl on Wednesday, September 21, 2016

UPDATE 12:50 A.M. 

Hillary Rodham Clinton, the Democratic nominee for president, just announced through a Democratic National Committee press release–without any explanation–that a press call Democrats had planned to work with the black community is now canceled.

“Hillary Clinton knows that HBCUs are an engine of opportunity for students of color and that they have made huge contributions our country. She understands the long standing significance of HBCUs for black students and their families and has real policies to address college affordability and ensure that HBCUs not only survive – but thrive,” the Democratic National Committee had previously said in an announcement of a press call. “By contrast, Donald Trump has no plans, and he has only insults for the African-American community. He trafficks in offensive stereotypes, talks down to African Americans day after day on the campaign trail, and wants to eliminate the Department of Education, which would mean eliminating college aid for millions of students, including HBCU enrollees.”

The press call was supposed to include Assistant Democratic House Leader Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-SC), Rep. Alma Adams (D-NC), and DC Federation of College Democrats President Adriyanna Andreus.

Shortly after midnight–after Governor McCrory declared a state of emergency in Charlotte–the DNC announced without any explanation that the Clinton campaign press call was canceled.

“UPDATE- *THE FOLLOWING EVENT HAS BEEN POSTPONED*” the DNC said in an email to press.

That comes after Donald Trump, the Republican nominee for president, earlier on Wednesday taped a townhall event in Cleveland with Fox News’ Sean Hannity where Trump laid out his plans to deal with issues for America’s black communities.

UPDATE 12:38 A.M.

Video of Governor McCrory’s interview on CNN;

UPDATE 12:33 A.M.

Breitbart News’ Jen Lawrence files this report after speaking to people on the ground:

Charlotte resident Clay Banks was about twenty feet away when a man was shot during Wednesday night’s protest.

Banks described to Breitbart News what he says began as a peaceful protest uptown:

“It was very, very civil. People were in the streets. They were walking, marching. They were holding up signs. They were chanting. And the police were just on guard. The police were in the city… some had riot gear on.”

But then things took a turn for the worse. “The peaceful protests lasted for about an hour until there were flash bangs and tear gas launched into the crowd,” Banks continued. “The first bang that I heard, sounded like a flash bang. About five minutes later people were saying a man was shot and they were saying he was dead. And they were saying they watched it happen. And this was all about twenty feet from me. And, later the news confirmed the man was shot and killed.”

Banks went on to talk about the confusion in the crowd that ensued as word of the shooting spread.

“The people who talked to me said this was a cop that shot the man dead. The media is saying that it was a civilian-on-civilian shooting,” he said. “There is a conflict in what people are saying.”

When asked if there were signs of anything that would have led up to a shooting, Banks responded “No, no… a couple slick people in the crowd were yelling louder than others, but there [were] no bricks through windows. There was nothing to warrant a shooting especially a legal shooting [by law enforcement of] a civilian. Nothing like that transpired at all. I was literally right there.”

UPDATE 12:13 A.M.

CNN’s Don Lemon describes it as a “peaceful protest that turned violent.” Lemon says that the protesters are really “rioting this evening.”

Meanwhile, local news photographs keep coming out of the damage that the protesters did to property:

UPDATE 12:11 A.M.

Freelance photographer Marcus DiPaulo says “there is a very large hole in this building” while describing significant damage the protesters did to the Bank of America building in downtown Charlotte, as local police officials confirm this is the worst unrest in decades.

Reports are also surfacing that protesters looted or damaged the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

UPDATE 12:07 A.M.

A freelance photographer, Marcus DiPaulo, swears on live television on CNN, saying “oh shit” as he notes “the situation is devolving very quickly” and that he took his “gas mask off” for the first time since shortly after 7 p.m. The reporter notes that to call into CNN, he had to take cover “behind something” and describes it as a “very fluid situation down here.”

The photographer notes that after covering protests in Baltimore and Milwaukee, this is “the worst” violence and destruction he’s seen in years of covering protests.

“I haven’t seen many fires set besides a couple of trash cans,” DiPaulo noted.

Meanwhile, more images are surfacing of the violent acts that protesters engaged in–specifically the destruction of property throughout Charlotte.

https://twitter.com/GoldsteinStreet/status/778802721738547200

UPDATE 11:48 P.M.

Another local reporter confirms the situation is unsafe for media and that their newsroom is evacuating the area.

Both officers and protesters are warning reporters that the situation will soon devolve.

UPDATE 11:45 P.M.

A newsman for the local Fox affiliate announces that their news team is officially evacuating the area as the protests are unsafe even for the news media.

UPDATE 11:44 P.M.

A local news reporter Tweets that authorities have now confirmed that the man shot at the protests on Wednesday evening has died.

 

UPDATE 11:43 P.M.

Dirtbikes and ATVs are now rolling through the city as a local reporter notes the situation is “out of control.”

 

UPDATE 11:40 P.M.

McCrory, still on CNN, says unequivocally: “violence is unacceptable.” He calls for the protection of the constitutional rights of police officers and everyone else, and urges the public to wait for the full facts to come out on the instance of the shooting of Keith Lamont Scott.

McCrory says Charlotte is a city “I have a passion and a love for,” and notes that he knows “every block of that city.” He says the people of Charlotte are good people, and he has confidence that the situation will come under control soon.

UPDATE 11:29 P.M.

Governor McCory weighs in via Twitter to inform people he has declared a State of Emergency.

He also called into the Fox News Channel to lay out why he was doing it, which was to help the police:

On CNN, Gov. McCory says the chief of police “requested the additional assistance.” McCrory, on CNN in an interview with Don Lemon, says that the state of North Carolina has been preparing for this type of scenario since 8 a.m. this morning. He also says he is working with the chief of police on the orders that will be given to the National Guard troops being brought out now.

“We cannot tolerate violence, we cannot tolerate the destruction of property and we will not tolerate the attacks towards our police officers right now,” McCrory says, praising the police for their work in the matter.

Asked about a curfew being considered, McCrory–the former mayor of Charlotte–has said it is a “strong option” but up to local officials.

McCrory also asks the media to not encourage or incite the protesters.

UPDATE 11:27 P.M.

It’s unclear what condition the man who was shot at the protests on Wednesday evening is in. WRAL, a local media outlet, is reporting authorities are saying that he is not dead–but on life support.

UPDATE 11:25 P.M.

The media has come under attack in Charlotte, as protesters have targeted them:

UPDATE 11:24 P.M.

A state of emergency has been declared in Charlotte by North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory–and the National Guard has been activated, according to CNN–per a request from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg police chief.

CNN is reporting that the National Guard will be moving in shortly.

UPDATE 11:20 P.M.

A photo has surfaced of a man throwing a chair through a restaurant window.

Protesters throw chairs at a restaurant during a demonstration against police brutality in Charlotte, North Carolina, on September 21, 2016, following the shooting of Keith Lamont Scott the previous day. Violence broke out in Charlotte, North Carolina for a second night as police braced for a repeat of confrontations ignited by the fatal police shooting of a black man. (NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images)

(NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images)

UPDATE 11:03 P.M. 

CNN’s Don Lemon is reporting that an officer was injured. A local reporter appearing on CNN with him says that people are “throwing glass bottles” and the situation has “gotten very ugly” as protesters are fighting with each other and police.

Live on CNN, a variety of explosions keep going off. Apparently, they are from–according to earlier reports from the Associated Press–police “firing flash grenades at protesters who were throwing fireworks at them.”

“They then fired tear gas at the hundreds of protesters, dispersing most of the crowd,” the AP added about the

Lemon also advises viewers to remove their children from the room if they choose to keep the broadcast on because they will potentially hear news that is not good for them to hear.

UPDATE 10:30 P.M.

North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory has issued a statement on Charlotte protests…

… as the violence and tear gas continue:

UPDATE 10:00 P.M.

A CNN reporter was assaulted during the protests.

UPDATE 9:44 P.M. 

UPDATE 9:43 p.m.

Seven police, and one civilian, have reportedly been treat at a local hospital.

UPDATE 9:40 P.M.

City officials say the dead person was not shot by police.

City officials are trying to explain the police shooting on Sept. 20, here;

UPDATE 9:29 p.m.

Local TV station WCNC reports that a person was killed by the shooting.

UPDAYE 9:15 P.M.

WCNC lost a link to its on-scene camera crew when the protesters fled from pepper spray.

UPDATE 9:10 P.M. 

According to the Associated Press:

The emergency medical service in Charlotte says a person has been taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries from an apparent gunshot wound.

Charlotte Medic tweeted that the person was injured Wednesday night but didn’t give details.

The service says it has taken eight patients — seven law-enforcement officers and one civilian — to area hospitals during protests over the police shooting of a black man.

 

https://twitter.com/sluggahjells/status/778761674669092864

 

UPDATE 8:10 P.M.

A prayer vigil over the fatal police shooting of a black man in Charlotte has turned into a protest march through downtown.

Several hundred marchers have been angry but peaceful Wednesday night as they shouted slogans like “Hands up; don’t shoot” and “Black lives matter” outside downtown landmarks.

Police blocked off streets, and some protesters yelled and pointed at them, but officers did not react.

The scene was in contrast to Tuesday’s protest, which turned violent with protesters threw rocks and damaged police vehicles.

 

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