Violent Protests Flare for Second Night in Charlotte

Demonstrators protest the fatal police shooting of Keith Lamont Scott in Charlotte, North Carolina on Wednesday evening, Sept. 21.

Demonstrators clashed for a second night Wednesday with police in riot gear in Charlotte, a day after cops shot and killed Scott, whose family claimed he was simply reading a book. Police say he was armed.

Police fire tear gas as protesters converge in Charlotte, North Carolina's largest city.

What started out as a prayer vigil on Wednesday devolved into chaos as protesters marched downtown, facing off with police outside the Omni hotel.

A protester faces off with a police officer in riot gear. 

Police and protesters carry a seriously wounded protester into the parking area of the the Omni Hotel. While city officials initially said that a civilian had been fatally shot, they later corrected their statement to say the victim was in critical condition on life support. Officials said the person was shot by a civilian, not a police officer.

A man squats near a pool of blood after a man was shot during the protest.

A woman points with her blood-covered hand at a police officer.

Gov. Pat McCrory declared a state of emergency as midnight approached, saying he was calling in the National Guard and state troopers to help restore order.

Police in riot gear stand outside the Omni Hotel. Demonstrators had begun dispersing after a planned protest at Charlotte's Marshall Park when some of them tried to enter the Omni and other hotels nearby, police told NBC News.

A protester kicks a van outside the Omni Hotel. 

Demonstrators walk near a damaged bus.

A protester yells to other demonstrators as police look on. The protester was later taken into custody. 

A woman argues with another protester in front of a line of police.

A protester stands on a car.

A protester confronts police with a raised fist.

Protesters stop at an intersection blocked by police on bicycles along Trade Street. 

With officials refusing to release any video of the shooting of 43-year-old Keith Lamont Scott, two starkly different versions have emerged: Police say Scott disregarded repeated demands to drop his gun, while neighborhood residents say he was holding a book, not a weapon, as he waited for his son to get off the school bus.

Read: Person Shot in N.C. Protests

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