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Clinton postpones visit to Charlotte after mayor's request
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National Guardsman stand on the street in downtown Charlotte, N.C. on Thursday, Sept. 22. Charlotte police refused under mounting pressure Thursday to release video that could resolve wildly different accounts of the shooting of a black man, as the National Guard arrived to try to head off a third night of violence in this city on edge. (AP/Gerry Broome)
H
illary Clinton said Friday that the police video of the fatal shooting of a black man by Charlotte police should be released immediately as she announced and then abruptly postponed plans to make a pre-debate visit to the embattled North Carolina city.
Clinton wrote on Twitter that authorities in Charlotte should release the police video of the Keith Lamont Scott shooting "without delay. We must ensure justice & work to bridge divides."
The Democratic presidential nominee's campaign initially said she would travel Sunday toCharlotte, where protests have broken out after the police shooting. But Clinton decided to postpone the trip hours later after Charlotte Mayor Jennifer Roberts — also a Democrat — told CNN her city's security resources were stretched thin and urged Clinton to delay her visit.
Jennifer Palmieri, Clinton's campaign communications director, said in a statement that after "further discussion with community leaders" Clinton had decided to postpone the trip "as to not impact the city's resources."
Palmieri said Clinton planned to visit Charlotte on Sunday, Oct. 2. "In the meantime her prayers are with the people of Charlotte during these difficult days," she said.
Republican rival Donald Trump crowed about the turn of events on Twitter. "Crooked Hillary's bad judgement forced her to announce that she would go to Charlotte on Saturday to grandstand," he tweeted. "Dem pols said no way, dumb!"
A video of Scott's shooting, recorded by his wife, was released Friday by his family. It does not indicate whether Scott had a gun. Police have said he was armed, but witnesses have said he held only a book.
In the days leading up to Monday's first presidential debate, both Clinton and Republican Donald Trump have been confronted with questions about police violence after the North Carolina shooting and a separate incident in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where a white police officer was charged with manslaughter in the fatal shooting of an unarmed black man whose vehicle had broken down in the middle of the street.
Clinton said Wednesday that the shootings had added two more names "to a long list of African-Americans killed by police officers. It's unbearable and it needs to become intolerable."
