WCNC-TV,
WCNC-TV, Charlotte, this is plash point where power and politics collide and the tough
questions get asked and
answered.
>> Good Sunday morning and
happy Easter.
Thanks for joining us here on
this Sunday.
joining istoday, the community
activist to my right and the
executive director of the north
Democratic partaey Douglas
Wilson on the end.
Thanks for joining us.
It was a week here in Charlotte
after they released body cam
footage.
you see a deadly officer
involved shooting.
This was last month.
It was tough to watch.
.
>>> THE VIDEO COMES FROM THE
BODY CAM OF THE OFFICER WHO
SHOT AND KILLED HIM IN THE
NORTH CHARLOTTE BURGER KING.
AFTER IT WAS RELEASED, THEY
CALLED FOR CALM AND MEETING
WITH THE COMMUNITY SEVERAL
TIMES.
>> MY QUESTION TO YOU AND THE
MAYOR IS WHY HAVEN'T YOU GUYED
CONSIDERED STEPPING DOWN.
I THINK THE CITY IS BETTER
WITHOUT YOU.
>> WE HAVE TOO MUCH WORK FOR ME
TO QUILT.
I'M NOT GOING TO QUIT.
>> I WANT TO GET AN INITIAL
REACTION FROM BOTH OF YOU.
WHAT IS THE CITY DOING RIGHT?
WHAT IS THE CITY DOING WRONG?
>> LET'S FIRST ACKNOWLEDGE THAT
THE MAYOR HAS LEARNED A LOT
FROM MAYOR ROB SQURTS HER
MISTAKES, HOW SHE HANDLED THE
KEITH LAMONT SCOTT SHOOTING AS
OPPOSED TO THIS SHOOTING.
THEY DID A LOT OF PREP WORK.
THEY MET WITH THE MINISTERS.
WE DIDN'T SEE THE BARRAGE OF
THE SHOOTING TO ESCALATE THE
EMOTIONS.
AND IT WAS SPRING BREAK, SO
THEY DIDN'T HAVE A LOT OF
PEOPLE TO PROTEST TOO, AND
VIVIDLY WATCHING IT TUNED IN.
I THINK THAT'S WHAT THEY DID
RIGHT.
THEY DID A LOT OF CONTROLLED
MEDIA NARRATIVES, BUT I ALSO
THINK THAT'S WHAT THEY DID
WRONG.
YOU CAN'T CONTROL PEOPLE'S
CHANGE.
YOU CAN'T CONTROL DEMOCRACY.
IT'S UNCONTROLLED.
IT'S UGLY.
IT IS WHAT IT IS.
I DON'T THINK PEOPLE FEEL LIKE,
THE PEOPLE IN POWER ARE
LISTENING.
WE CONTINUE TO SEE MORE OFFICER
INVOLVED SHOOTINGS.
IT LOOKED AS IF THE GENTLEMAN
WAS PUTTING THE GUN DOWN, AND
THEN YOU SHOT HIM, DEADLY
FORCE.
IT WAS JUST A LOT OF RAW
EMOTIONS, BUT I THINK WE AS A
COMMUNITY ARE SO TIRED OF NOT
BEING DONE RIGHT BY THE LAW
ENFORCEMENT AND ELECTED
OFFICIALS.
>> YOU THINK THE LAW
ENFORCEMENT HAS GOTTEN A BAD
RAP?
>> I THINK THE MAYOR HANDLED IT
WELL.
I THINK SHE'S HANDLED IT BETTER
THAN A LOT OF COUNCIL PEOPLE.
SHE'S BEEN COOL, CALM AND
COLLECTIVE.
I THINK HE IS GREAT FOR THE
CITY.
HE'S BEEN VERY DIRECT FOR THE
CITIZENS AND NOT PLAYING
POLITICS.
AS YOU CAN SEE HE'S LISTENING
TO PEOPLE.
PEOPLE ARE UPSET, AND I
UNDERSTAND.
THE KIDS LOST THEIR DAD.
PEOPLE LOST THEIR BROTHER AND
SISTER, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT.
I THINK THE CHIEF HAS HANDLED
IT AS WELL AS ANYBODY COULD.
>> DOUGLAS?
>> YEAH, I AGREE.
WE HAVE TO PAUSE AND REMEMBER
THAT A MOTHER LOST HER SON, AND
A CHILD LOST THEIR FATHER.
I AGREE.
I THINK THE MAYOR HANDLED THIS
VERY WELL.
I WAS AT ONE OF THE COMMUNITY
MEETINGS LAST NIGHT, AND YOU
CAN TELL THAT THE COMMUNITY IS
HURT AND GRIEVING, AND THEY
SHOULD BE.
LIKE SHE SAID THIS IS SOMETHING
THAT HAS HAPPENED CONTINUOUSLY,
BUT I FEEL LIKE THAT THE
ELECTED LEADERSHIP HERE HAS
LEARNED A LOT FROM 2016.
THE FACT THAT THE CHIEF IS
HAVING THESE COMMUNITY FORMS IS
HELPING OUT A LOT, BUT THE
ISSUE OF COMMUNITY POLICING HAS
TO BE HAD.
IT HAS TO CONTINUE, BUT AT SOME
POINT, THE CONVERSATION COMING
OUT OF COMMUNITY POLICING HAS
TO TURN INTO MORE ACTION I
BELIEVE.
>> THE COMMITTEE MEETING YOU
WENT TO LAST NIGHT, DID YOU
CONSIDER IT PROTECTIVE?
>> I DID.
I THINK THEY WENT OUT OF THEIR
WAY TO SHOW HOW THE DE-
ESCALATING FLOW CHART HAPPENS,
AND THEY TOOK QUESTIONS FROM
THE GUESTS, FROM THE COMMUNITY
THERE, AND THEY TOOK IT
WITHOUT, YOU KNOW, GETTING
UPSET OR SAYING THAT YOU DON'T
KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE.
THEY ACTUALLY SAT THERE AND
LISTENED TO THE COMMUNITY.
>> DE-ESCALATION HAS BEEN A
WORD YOU'VE HEARD A LOT AND THE
IDEA OF THE PROPER WAY TO
HANDLE AN INTENSE SITUATION BY
ALL ACCOUNTS.
>> WE HAVE.
THIS IS WHERE I'M CHALLENGED.
IN THE BIBLICAL COMMUNITY, WE
HAVE A SAYING PRAYER WITHOUT
WORKS IS DEAD.
ENOUGH OF THE MEETINGS.
MEANING WITHOUT ACTION IS
MEANINGLESS.
WE NEED TO SEE MORE
ACCOUNTABILITY.
I DON'T WANT TO HEAR THE CHIEF
CALMLY LISTENED TO.
I WANT TO SEE WHAT ACTION IS
BEING DONE WITH YOUR FORCE TO
DEECTILATE SITUATIONS.
I CAN HEAR DE-ESCALATION ALL
DAY LONG, BUT IF I CONTINUE TO
SEE AFRICAN-AMERICAN MEN AND
WOMEN BEING SHOT, BE IT UNARMED
OR BE IT OBLIGING THE OFFICER
AND THEY END UP DEAD, I DON'T
CARE ABOUT YOUR DE-ESCALATION
POLICY BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY YOU'RE
NOT ENACTING IT BECAUSE THINGS
ARE NOT BEING DE-ESCALATED
WITHOUT DEADLY FORCE.
I HAVE A SON.
THIS SPRING BREAK I HAVE MY SON
WITH HIS BUDDY.
WHAT HAPPENS TO THEM WHEN
THEY'RE IN A CAR AND AN OFFICER
COMES UPON THEM?
I CAN'T EVEN IMAGINE THE PAIN
THAT THESE PARENTS, THESE
FAMILY MEMBERS FEEL.
AND WE'RE TIRED OF BEING IN
PAIN AS AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN
COMMUNITY.
WE NEED ACTION, AND WE NEED TO
HOLD OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS MORE
ACCOUNTABLE.
>> TRUE, AND THAT'S THE POLICE
HAVE A MICROSCOPE ON THEM, AND
THANK GOD FOR BODY CAMS FROM MY
VIEW.
>> THAT WAS A CONTROVERSIAL
IDEA.
>> I WAS ABOUT TO SAY IT WASN'T
LIKE THEY JUST DID IT.
IT WAS LEGISLATED AND PUSHED.
>> CONTROVERSIAL IDEA.
>> YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
>> AND CERTAINLY POLICE HAVE TO
HAVE ACCOUNTABILITY AND SO DOES
THE COMMUNITY.
WE DON'T KNOW ALL THE FACTS
YET, BUT WHEN A POLICE OFFICER
SAYS TO COMPLY, YOU NEED TO
COMPLY, AND POLICE OFFICERS ARE
KILLED ALMOST EVERY DAY IN THIS
COUNTRY.
I THINK WE HAVE TO SUPPORT THE
COMMUNITY AND POLICE.
>> AND AFRICAN-AMERICANS ARE
KILLED ALMOST EVERY DAY IN
AMERICA.
>> AND WHAT DO YOU THINK SHOULD
BE DONE FROM THIS?
DO YOU THINK IT SHOULD BE
RESIGNATIONS?
WHAT DO YOU THINK SHOULD HAPPEN
TO THE OFFICER?
>> I DON'T WANT TO SAY WHAT
SHOULD HAPPEN TO THE OFFICER.
I'LL LEVER THAT TO THE
INVESTIGATION.
BUT IN MY PREVIOUS
CONVERSATION, THINGS NEED TO BE
HAD.
WE LEARNED A LOT FROM 2016.
I'M NOT SAYING IT'S NOT
HAPPENING NOW, BUT I FEEL
WHATEVER THE DE-ESCALATING
PROCESS IS, IT HAS TO GO IN
ACTION.
THIS YOUNG MAN, IT LOOKS LIKE
HE WAS ON HIS KNEES.
>> YEAH.
>> HE WAS ON HIS KNEES, AND,
LOOK, I'M NOT A POLICE OFFICER.
I'M SURE THIS POLICE OFFICER
HAS TO LIVE WITH THE GUILT THAT
SHE TOOK SOMEONE'S LIFE, BUT I
THINK AT SOME POINT THE
TRAINING HAS TO INTENSIFY.
LIKE, SHE SAID I'M AN AFRICAN-
AMERICAN MALE, AND I HAVE TO
ALSO BE CAREFUL OF MYSELF.
SHE HAS A YOUNG SON, AND I
THINK AT SOME POINT THAT
TRAINING HAS TO INTENSIFY, BUT,
AGAIN, LAST NIGHT IN MY
OPINION, SHOWED THE GROWTH THAT
WE'VE HAD FROM 2016.
THE POLICE AND THE COMMUNITY
ARE TALKING, BUT SHE'S RIGHT,
AT SOME POINT IT HAS TO MOVE
PAST.
>> AND I WANT TO QUICKLY SAY
THE OTHER THING THAT DISTURBED
ME, AND I DON'T KNOW ALL THE
FACTS, INTERNAL AFFAIRS AND HR,
THEY WILL DO THEIR DUE
DILIGENCE, BUT THAT THIS
PARTICULAR OFFICER THAT WAS
INVOLVED IN THIS SHOOTING, SHE
WAS SANCTIONED AND LET KNOW GO
BY THE FORMER CHIEF.
I DON'T KNOW THE VALIDITY OF
THE TRUTH TO IT, BUT THAT'S THE
PROBLEM.
IT WAS ALLEGEDLY BECAUSE OF
RACIAL OVERTONES THAT SHE MIGHT
HAVE BEEN USING OR UTTERING IN
THE WORKPLACE.
>> I WANT TO SAY THAT'S NOT
SOMETHING NBC CHARLOTTE HAS
VERIFIED.
>> AND THAT'S WHY I QUICKLY
SAID ALLEGEDLY.
>> I WANT R I JUST WANTED TO
SAY THAT OUT LOUD.
GO AHEAD.
>> DO YOU THINK SHE SHOULD
RESIGN?
>> I THINK THAT ONCE THE FACTS
ARE GATHERED, THE APPROPRIATE
ACTIONS NEED TO BE MADE.
BUT I THINK THE CHIEF HAS GROWN
AS WELL.
HE WAS DOGMATICALLY LIKE WE'RE
NOT GOING TO DO THIS, WE'RE NOT
GOING TO DO THIS, BUT WHEN DOES
THIS BENEFIT THE AFRICAN-
AMERICANS, PEOPLE OF COLOR WHO
ARE TRIGGERED BY THESE ROAD
COPS.
I WANT TO SEE