Charlotte police release body, dashboard camera footage of fatal shooting

The Latest on protests in Charlotte, North Carolina, over the fatal police shooting of a black man (all times local):

6:45 p.m.

Charlotte police have released body and dashboard camera footage of the fatal shooting of black man.

A file sent to the media Saturday also includes pictures of a handgun and marijuana that police say Keith Lamont Scott possessed.

The shooting of Scott on Tuesday has prompted several days of demonstrations that coalesced around protesters' demands that police video be seen by the public.

Police have said Scott was shot on Tuesday because he refused commands to drop a handgun. Residents have said he was unarmed.

Police Chief Kerr Putney said at a news conference Saturday that Scott "absolutely" had a gun but that it's not shown in his hand in the videos. Putney said the video supports other evidence that all must be considered together.

5:10 p.m.

North Carolina. Gov. Pat McCrory says he supports the decision to release police video recordings showing the shooting of a black man.

McCrory said in a statement Saturday that he supported the decision of Charlotte Police Chief Kerr Putney. McCrory also said he had been assured by state investigators that the release wouldn't have an impact on their probe into the shooting of Keith Lamont Scott.

McCrory's statement came minutes before Putney held a news conference saying he would release dashcam and body camera video of the shooting.

5:05 p.m.

Charlotte's police chief says officers were trying to serve a warrant on someone else but then spotted the man they ultimately shot and killed.

Chief Kerr Putney told reporters on Saturday that officers saw marijuana and a weapon in Keith Lamont Scott's car and said, "uh oh, this is a safety issue for us and the public."

Putney is releasing dashcam and body cam video on Saturday to the public.

Police have said Scott was shot on Tuesday because he refused commands to drop a handgun. Residents have said he was unarmed. Putney says Scott "absolutely" had a gun but that it's not shown in his hand in the videos.

"At every encounter, people can make a decision to follow loud, verbal commands. They (officers) were reacting to what they saw and they have a duty to do so," Putney said.

Community activists have been for days calling on Putney to release body cam and dashcam video of the shooting. Putney has said he wants to be transparent but also won't compromise his investigation.

5 p.m.

Charlotte police say the man killed by one of their officers "absolutely" had a gun when he was shot.

Chief Kerr Putney told reporters during a news conference on Saturday that the video he's releasing to the public supports the way he originally characterized the shooting of Keith Lamont Scott.

Police have said they shot Scott on Tuesday because he refused commands to drop a handgun. Residents have said he was unarmed.

Community activists have been for days calling on Putney to release body cam and dashcam video of the shooting. Putney has said he wants to be transparent but also won't compromise his investigation.

Scott's family has viewed the videos and has called on Putney to release them to the public.

4:45 p.m.

A North Carolina police chief has announced he has decided to release police bodycam and dash cam video footage of Tuesday's police shooting of a black man in Charlotte.

Chief Kerr Putney of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department didn't immediately say when the footage would be made public but said he had decided the release would not hinder an ongoing investigation of the shooting.

He said he had determined recently that releasing footage would have "no adverse impact on the investigation." He also added physical evidence would be released.

"These are tough times for our city and we're going to get through it," he added.

Community activists have been for days calling on Putney to release body cam and dashcam video of the shooting of 43-year-old Keith Lamont Scott. Putney has said he wants to be transparent but also won't compromise his investigation.

Scott's family has viewed the videos and has called on Putney to release them to the public.