Washington: Charlotte police released dramatic video Saturday that shows officers with guns drawn surrounding a black man with his hands at his side before shots are fired and he buckles and falls. It’s unclear if there was anything in the man’s hands in the footage, which has done little to assuage his relatives.

The footage of the fatal police shooting of Keith Lamont Scott was released amid days of protests, including an outpouring by hundreds earlier Saturday, which coalesced around demands for the public to see the video. Police said Scott had a gun, though residents have said he was unarmed.

In the dashboard camera video released Saturday night, Scott could be seen slowly backing away from his SUV with his hands down, and it’s not apparent if he’s holding anything. Four shots are heard, and he falls to the ground.

Police also released photos of a handgun from the scene, saying it was loaded and contained Scott’s DNA and fingerprints. They also said Scott had marijuana.

The dashboard camera footage starts with a police car pulling up as two officers point their guns at Scott, who is inside the SUV with the doors closed and windows rolled up. Scott gets out and starts walking backward before shots are fired.

From a different angle, newly released police body camera footage shows an officer approach with his gun drawn and another officer already pointing his gun at Scott. When Scott comes into view, his hands are at his side and he’s standing beside his SUV. The body camera footage doesn’t show the moment shots are fired, and Scott is next seen on the ground.

An attorney for Scott’s family, Justin Bamberg, said the footage leaves questions unanswered more than it provides clarity.

‘One of the biggest questions,’ Bamberg said, ‘is do those actions, do those precious seconds, justify this shooting?’

Ray Dotch, Scott’s brother-in-law, objected to reporters’ questions about Scott’s background, saying he shouldn’t have to ‘humanize him in order for him to be treated fairly.’

‘What we know and what you should know about him is that he was an American citizen who deserved better,’ he added.

Before releasing the footage, Chief Kerr Putney said at a news conference that he received assurances from the State Bureau of Investigation that making it public wouldn’t impact the state’s independent probe of the shooting.

Asked whether he expected the footage to calm protesters, Putney responded: ‘The footage itself will not create in anyone’s mind absolute certainty as to what this case represents and what the outcome should be. The footage only supports all of the other information’ such as physical evidence and statements from witnesses and officers.

Putney said that his officers didn’t break the law but noted the state investigation continues.

‘Officers are absolutely not being charged by me at this point, but again, there’s another investigation ongoing,’ he said.

Putney said that Scott was ‘absolutely in possession of a handgun.’

A police narrative released along with the video gives the most complete account yet of what brought Scott to police attention.

Two plainclothes officers in an unmarked vehicle were preparing to serve a warrant on someone else when Scott pulled up and parked next to them, according to the document.

The officers saw Scott rolling a marijuana cigar, or blunt, though they didn’t consider it a priority at first, it said. But then one of the officers saw him hold up a gun, the document states.

‘Due to the combination of illegal drugs and the gun Mr. Scott had in his possession, officers decided to take enforcement action for public safety concerns,’ the document said.

The narrative says Scott didn’t respond to repeated commands to drop his weapon.

Those commands aren’t heard in the body camera video, which doesn’t have audible sound until after the shooting.

Amid anxiety and unease over the shooting of Scott, demonstrations in Charlotte have gone from violent to peaceful, although demands to see the police video remained a chief concern of protesters.

Book or handgun

Scott was shot and killed at a Charlotte apartment complex during an encounter with police searching for another person wanted for arrest.

Police say he had a handgun. His family says he was holding a book.

Putney reemphasized Saturday that Scott had a handgun and added that he was also in possession of marijuana.

When officers ‘see the weapon, and they see the marijuana, they say, ‘oh-oh, this is a safety issue for us and the public,’’ Putney said.

Police also released a photo of a handgun they say Scott had on him as well as an ankle holster and a marijuana blunt.

During his press conference earlier in the day, Putney also said that DNA evidence would be released.

He told reporters that he had made the call to release the footage and media only after getting confirmation ‘that when I release what I’m going to release, there is no adverse impact on the State Bureau of Investigation’s investigation. And I have that assurance now.’

Governor Pat McCrory said in a statement Saturday that ‘as governor of North Carolina, I concur with the Charlotte police chief’s decision to release the tapes. I have been assured by the State Bureau of Investigation that the release will have no material impact on the independent investigation.’

Following several nights of violence-marred protests, North Carolina’s governor had already declared a state of emergency in the city.

Scott’s family has previously released two minutes of smartphone footage filmed by his wife, which does not show the shooting itself and does not conclusively answer the question of whether he was armed.

‘Our goal has from the beginning been to get the absolute unfiltered truth, and the only way to get that is for the police to release the videos that were released today. Unfortunately, we are left with far more questions than we have answers,’ Ray Dotch, the brother of Scott’s wife, told a press conference.

‘We should not have to humanize him for him to be treated fairly. He was an American citizen who deserved better. That is our position. And it should be yours.’

Scott’s death is only the latest in a string of police-involved killings of black men that have fueled outrage across America.