Police body cam footage shows Keith Scott’s hands by his side before he was shot.
Now pro-cop group [__Blue Lives Matter__](http://www.bluelivesmatter.blue/) is demanding an apology.
A writer for the group, that was formed in response to [__Black Lives Matter__](http://blacklivesmatter.com/), demanded an [__apology from CNN__](https://bluelivesmatter.blue/blue-lives-matter-apology-cnn/) on Wednesday, claiming edited video footage aired of a fatal police shooting in North Carolina made cops look bad.
Why?
Because it did not include the part where Charlotte-Mecklenberg cop Bentley Vinson shouted “gun! drop the gun!” right before he shot Keith Lamar Scott, which the writer alleges makes the shooting “seem unjustified.”
“You may (or may not) have noticed that Blue Lives Matter is demanding an apology from CNN for one specific despicable act. They aired the edited the cell phone video of the Keith Scott shooting to make it look like it was unjustified,” wrote Blue Lives Matter.
The pro-cop group’s Facebook page sports a photo of the American Flag with a thin blue line in place of a white stripe along with the quote “sometimes there’s justice; Sometimes there’s ‘just us.’”
*Pro-Cop Group Blue Lives Matter Sports A Thin Blue Line Symbol Edited On To An American Flag As Their Facebook Cover Photo. The Thin Blue Line Represents The Police Gang Culture And Mentality Behind The ‘Blue Code Of Silence.’*
They claim CNN was directly responsible for violence in the recent riots in Charlotte as well as for the attacks in Baton Rouge, Dallas and New York because the version dash cam video aired by the news station begins at the point where Rakeyia Scott, Keith’s wife, stating, “he doesn’t have a gun.”
> In CNN’s editing of the Keith Scott cell phone video, they specifically started the video with Rakeyia Scott telling officers, “He has no weapon.” CNN then cut out the extended duration of officers repeatedly ordering Keith Scott to drop his gun. The video went straight from Rakeyia Scott claiming that her husband was unarmed to officers shooting Scott. It was later proven that Keith Scott was actually armed with a Colt Mustang pistol.
The writers warns more police will die if CNN continues to edit police-involved shooting videos, saying an apology would “hold them accountable for their deceptive editing.”
“Irresponsible reporting contributed to the assassination of officers in New York, Dallas, and Baton Rouge when the killers were trying to retaliate against police for perceived injustices,” wrote Blue Lives.
“There are consequences to editing video like this, and it may cost more officers their lives.”
In the video, Blue Lives Matter alleged CNN edited the clip to go “straight from Rakeyia Scott saying her husband was unarmed to officers shooting Scott”, officer Vinson ctually *can* be heard saying, “drop the gun” or similar phrases over 30-times before shooting Scott.
Although the volume level in the video Blue Lives linked to one of their channels is almost impossible to hear, officer Vinson can actually be heard saying “drop the gun” even after Rakeyia says, “he doesn’t have a gun.”
In fact, Vinson said “drop the gun” or a similar phrase over 30 times before blasting Scott.
And, CNN posted an unedited version 0f the dash cam video released by police to youtube on September 24, which is the same day police released their edited version to the public.
CMPD withheld “full-versions” of their body cam footag for two weeks, despite pressure from activists and other skeptics to release it.
In parenthesis, Blue Lives suggests “you may need to turn up the volume” to the “deceptively edited” video they linked, because it’s very difficult to hear.
The new dash cam video, which unlike the body cam footage has audio, released by CMPD September 24 and published to CNN’s youtube channel begins with officer Bentley Vinson and other cops rushing to confront Scott, who suffered a traumatic brain injury from a motorcycle wreck last year, screaming at him, “drop the gun!”
Dr.s suggested in news reports that Scott’s head injury could have been why he was slow to react to cops’ commands.
The video suggests Scott might not have even had a gun as police ordered him to “drop the gun”, which could confuse any unarmed person even if they hadn’t suffered a brain injury.
“He has a TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury),” Scott’s wife pleaded just seconds before her husband’s death.
As Vinson shouts commands, Scott’s wife Rayeyia can be heard refuting claims her husband even had a gun.
“He has no weapon.”
“He didn’t do anything.”
“Don’t shoot him,” she rebutted.
Vinson then shoots him, handcuffs him and leaves him lying on asphalt.
Newly released body cam footage shows the aftermath during Scott’s final moments and police approaching Vinson to ask if he’s “all good.”
“I’m good. Someone get my bag, get the gloves. We need to hold the wound,” said Vinson.
Scott lied handcuffed, moaning in pain, as cops attempted to figure out how to handle Scott’s wounds.
“He’s shot in the left lung,” said one cop.
“How many wounds do we got?” asked Vinson.
“Hey, man, what’s your name,” Vinson asked receiving no response.
“Kinfolk,” he asked.
“What’s your name?”
As sirens can be heard in the background, Vinson assures Scott, “there’s a medic coming for you, boss. They’re on their way.”
“He better be alive,” Rakeyia Scott told cops as her husband slipped away.
Police claim Scott had a pistol in an ankle holster.
“My belief is if it was in that section near his body, you would have seen it,” suggested Justin Bamberg, the attorney representing the Scott family.
“We still don’t know. This video does not shine any light on whether a firearm was in his possession or where it was found.”
Rayeyia Scott says her husband was actually holding a book when police gunned him down.
Warning: the below videos contain graphic content.
