No charges will be filed against the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police officer who shot and killed a black man at an apartment complex in September, touching off several nights of unrest in the city, a North Carolina prosecutor announced Wednesday.

  • Keith Scott, 43, was fatally shot by police in September
  • Several nights of unrest in the city erupted after the shooting
  • DA's office: "All credible evidence" determined Scott was armed

Charlotte-Mecklenburg District Attorney Andrew Murray said Officer Brentley Vinson's actions in the fatal shooting of Keith Lamont Scott were justified.

Scott's family has said since the shooting that he was not armed.

Vinson shot and killed Scott, 43, in September, which sparked several nights of unrest in the city.

At a conference Wednesday morning, Murray said all credible evidence determined Scott was armed and Vinson acted in self-defense.

The District Attorney's Office showed video of Scott at a convenience store prior to the shooting. Officials said a bulge in Scott's right ankle was consistent with a gun and holster.

A gun was found at the scene, and Scott's DNA was also found on the gun.

Murray said supposed eyewitnesses who claimed Scott was unarmed and reading a book later told FBI they didn't actually see the shooting.

Murray's office also said Scott had a blank stare at the time of the shooting, which are consistent with side effects of medication for brain injuries. Aggression was also a side effect.

Vinson, who is also black, admitted to shooting Scott after the incident, and his agency-issued firearm was the only one missing bullets. 

Video reveals that officers told Scott to drop the gun at least 10 times, and Murray said Scott leaned over after being shot, which is why he was shot in the back.

A total of 63 SBI agents were called in to investigate the shooting. 

Attorneys for the Scott family met with prosecutors on Wednesday morning to go over the State Bureau of Investigation's findings before the conference.

Scott's wife said her husband did not have a gun and had just taken medicine for a traumatic brain injury, which she said made it difficult for him to communicate.           

Because of the conflicting reports, there were numerous protests following the shooting in September, some of them violent.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.