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Keith Scott’s widow recorded video of police killing her husband

Charlotte Mecklenburg Police chief Kerr Putney and Charlotte Mayor Jennifer Roberts. CREDIT:AP Photo/Chuck Burton
Charlotte Mecklenburg Police chief Kerr Putney and Charlotte Mayor Jennifer Roberts. CREDIT:AP Photo/Chuck Burton

Video of the moment Charlotte Mecklenburg Police killed Keith Scott on Tuesday afternoon has been published by NBC News.

No gun is visible on the ground near Scott’s feet in the video, as shown in a photograph that police have claimed showed the gun they say Scott had in his hand when he was killed. The moment the photograph would have been taken is not shown in NBC’s edit of the video, which fades out with officers in different positions. A call to CMPD for clarification was not immediately returned.

The recording was made by Reykia Scott, the deceased’s widow, who can be heard talking to both the officers surrounding her husband’s truck and to her husband.

Footage shows fatal encounter between Charlotte cops, Keith Lamont ScottUnsettling footage obtained exclusively by NBC News shows the moments leading up to the fatal police shooting of Keith…www.nbcnews.comAs officers repeatedly scream “drop the gun,” Reykia Scott — standing several feet away outside the truck where her husband is sitting — repeatedly tells them he does not have a gun, will not do anything to them.

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She also tells officers he has a traumatic brain injury, and had just taken his meds. She implores them not to shoot him, and instructs Keith to get out of the car so that the officers will not break the windows.

Then four gunshots. After raising her voice for a moment, Scott’s voice dips to a calm recitation.

“Yes we’re over here 9453 Lexington Court. These are the police officers who shot my husband,” she says. “And he better live. He better live. Because he didn’t do nothing to them.”

The camera is moving and pointing at the ground at the moment that Scott gets out of the car, but he can be seen standing in the open between officers for a moment before the shots. The exact moments of the killing are not on screen, as the camera is again moving.

The footage is the public’s first hard look at what happened. Police have insisted that Scott was killed because he posted an imminent deadly threat to officers. The cell phone video shows that officers had guns drawn for at least two minutes, shouting at the man to get out of his car.

Police footage exists but has not been released. Until this morning, city leaders insisted they could not release the video. They now say they will, but have not yet given a specific time for the release. They have also indicated that the videos do not show Scott ever pointed a weapon at officers.

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Scott’s family’s attorney, who has seen the videos, say that they do not make clear “what, if anything” Scott was holding in his hands, but do show he was backing up with his hands at his sides when he was killed.

This is a breaking news post and will be updated.

Below is a full transcript of the video shot by Reykia Scott.

REYKIA SCOTT: Don’t shoot him. Don’t shoot him. He has no weapon. He has no weapon. Don’t shoot him.

OFFICERS: Drop the gun! Drop the gun! Drop the fucking gun!

REYKIA SCOTT: Don’t shoot him.

OFFICERS: Drop the gun!

REYKIA SCOTT: Don’t shoot him. He didn’t do anything.

OFFICERS: Drop the gun! Drop the gun!

REYKIA SCOTT: He doesn’t have a gun.

OFFICERS: Drop the gun!

REYKIA SCOTT: He has a [traumatic brain injury]. He’s not gonna do anything to you guys. He just took his medicine.

OFFICERS: Drop the gun! Drop the gun! Let me get fuckin [inaudible] up here.

REYKIA SCOTT: Keith, don’t let them break the windows. Come on out the car!

OFFICERS: Drop the gun!

REYKIA SCOTT: Keith. Don’t do it.

OFFICERS: Drop the gun!

REYKIA SCOTT: Keith get out the car. Keith! Keith! Don’t you do it. Don’t you do it. Keith! Keith! Keith! Don’t you do it!

[four shots]

REYKIA SCOTT: Did you shoot him? Did you shoot him? Did you shoot him? He better not be fucking dead. He better not be fucking dead. I know that fucking much. I know that much. He better not be dead. I’m not gonna come near you, I’m gonna record though. I’m not coming near you I’m gonna record though. He better be alive cause I cau — You better be alive, how bout that. Yes we’re over here 9453 Lexington Court. These are the police officers who shot my husband. And he better live. He better live. Because he didn’t do nothing to them.

OFFICERS: Is everybody good? Are you good?

REYKIA SCOTT: He good, ain’t nobody touch nobody so they all good.

OFFICERS: You good?

REYKIA SCOTT: I know he better live. I know he better live. How bout that. I’m not coming to you guys but he better live. He better live. Y’all hear this and you see this right? He better live. He better live. I swear he better live. Yep. He better live. He better fucking live. He better live. Where is — He better fucking live and I can’t even believe the damn — I ain’t going nowhere I’m staying in the same damn spot. That’s ok did y’all call the police — I mean did y’all call the ambulance?