Charlotte protests diminish early on Friday as family views video

Charlotte, North Carolina:  Largely peaceful protests dwindled early on Friday in Charlotte, North Carolina, as police chose not to enforce a curfew prompted by two nights of riots that engulfed the city after a black man was shot to death by a police officer.

A crowd of hundreds gathered, chanted and marched for a third successive night in the state's largest city, demanding justice for Keith Scott, 43, who was shot dead by a black police officer in the parking lot of an apartment complex on Tuesday afternoon.

Police fired tear gas and non-lethal projectiles to break up crowds blocking traffic on a highway. National Guard troops backed up a robust police presence in the town center, helping to restrain protesters chanting "Whose streets? Our streets," as helicopters circled overhead.

The Charlotte Police Department said on Twitter that two officers were treated after they were sprayed with a chemical agent by demonstrators and that no civilians were injured on Thursday.

Despite the brief outbursts, the demonstrations were calmer than those on the previous two nights.

Rioters had smashed storefront windows, looted businesses and thrown objects at police, prompting officials to declare a state of emergency and the city's mayor to enact a curfew.

A protester shot on Wednesday died on Thursday, nine people were injured, and 44 were arrested in riots on Wednesday and Thursday morning.

Family views videos 

The family of the black North Carolina man whose shooting death by police triggered two nights of riots viewed videos of the episode on Thursday and asked for them to be made public, stepping up the pressure for their release.

The videos show Keith Scott was calm, acting in a non-aggressive way and walking slowly backward with hands by his sides when shot by police on Tuesday, the family's lawyer said in a statement, but it was unclear if he was holding a gun, as police say.

The statement came as hundreds gathered for a third successive night of protests, some chanting, "Release the video."

The crowd thinned a little after a midnight curfew began, but police and protesters stayed peacefully apart.

Earlier, police had fired tear gas and non-lethal projectiles to break up crowds blocking traffic on a highway. National Guard troops backed up a robust police presence in the town center, helping to restrain protesters chanting "Whose streets? Our streets," as helicopters circled overhead.

Scott's death is the latest to stir passions in the United States over the police use of deadly force against black men. Protests have asserted racial bias and excessive force by police and have given rise to the Black Lives Matter movement.

After reviewing the videos, Scott family attorney Justin Bamberg said, "While police did give him several commands, he did not aggressively approach them or raise his hands at members of law enforcement at any time.