CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WRAL-NBC) — A North Carolina police department review board has cleared an officer in a fatal shooting that sparked several days of protests and riots last year.
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department's Shooting Review Board determined that Officer Brentley Vinson followed proper procedure in last September's shooting death of Keith Lamont Scott. The board met Monday.
The board's report said Vinson's use of deadly force was justified and his actions were consistent with North Carolina law.
In announcing in November that no charges would be filed against Vinson, Mecklenburg County District Attorney Andrew Murray said Scott was armed with a handgun and Vinson feared Scott would shoot.
The Charlotte Observer reported an attorney for Scott's family criticized the police department, saying the decision shows, "it's darn near impossible to investigate yourself."
