US

Here’s 3 Key Myths The Keith Lamont Scott Shooting Report Debunks

REUTERS/Mike Blake

Daily Caller News Foundation logo
Amber Randall Civil Rights Reporter
Font Size:

Of the 15 career prosecutors who independently reviewed the investigation of the Keith Lamont Scott shooting, each came to the same conclusion: Officer Brentley Vinson was justified taking Scott’s life.

District Attorney Andrew Murray announced that Vinson, a black officer, was justified in shooting Scott during a Wednesday morning press conference, and the subsequent details that have come out about the shooting have put to rest a number of myths.(RELATED: Officer Who Shot Keith Lamont Scott Acted ‘Lawfully’)

Here are three of the key narratives we heard that the State Bureau of Investigation’s report quashes surrounding the circumstances of Scott’s death and the officers’ actions:

1.) All Credible Evidence Suggests Scott Was Armed 

“All of the credible, available and believable evidence supports the conclusion that Keith Scott was armed,” the reports states.

Every officer on the scene testified to seeing Scott holding a gun. Rakeyia Scott’s cellphone footage shows an object in the same place that a firearm is later seen on one officer’s body camera.

Scott’s DNA was also found on the grip and the slide of the gun recovered from the scene of the shooting. A fingerprint resembling Scott’s was discovered on the gun, but the State Crime Lab could not conclusively determine that it matched Scott.

2.) Scott Was Not Reading A Book At The Time 

The investigation did not recover a book outside Scott’s SUV, despite claims from witnesses that Scott was reading a book at the time of the shooting.

“The only possible reading material located in the front and back seats was a purple composition notebook that was found wedged between the center console and the front passenger seat,” the report revealed.

Many of the witnesses who told the media that Scott was reading a book later told the SBI investigation that Scott did not have a book at the time.

One witness, Taheshia Williams, admitted to the investigation that she never saw a book at the scene of the shooting.

3.) Witness Testimony Was Unreliable 

Williams told various media outlets that she had witnessed the shooting. In her talks with media, Williams claimed Scott was unarmed and had his hands up in the air. She also maintained that Scott was shot by a white officer.

Later on, she admitted to the SBI investigation that she was sitting in her apartment when police shot Scott. She also said that she did not see a book on the ground when she came outside after the shooting.

Another juvenile witness claimed to view the shooting from his bedroom window and then through a sliding glass door in his living room. He told police that he could see the book and pages Scott was supposedly reading.

The investigation team took photos from the witness’s bedroom and living room, only to find that it would be almost impossible to see all the witness claimed to have seen.

“During his interviews, when asked to clarify parts of his statement, it becomes apparent that this witness incorporated information he heard from other sources as part of his eyewitness account,” the report said.

Follow Amber on Twitter

Send tips to amber@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.

All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.