CMPD chief asking courts to release video footage of use of chemicals on protesters

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Kerr Putney will ask the courts to release all videos associated with a troubling incident from Tuesday evening, when officers appeared to use chemical agents against peaceful protesters in uptown.

The chief would make his request once the State Bureau of Investigation reviews those police actions, the department said via Twitter on Wednesday night. But Mayor Vi Lyles told reporters earlier Wednesday that the review of the incident “would take some time” — though answers would come “sooner than later.”

CMPD’s announcement came just hours after Lyles and Putney sought to reassure thousands of people gathered outside the Government Center on Wednesday evening that they had the right to protest safely.

During the listening session, residents demanded a strong showing of city leadership as they marched through uptown and past CMPD headquarters.

Read more: https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/article243243201.html