Charlotte shooting – why has a state of emergency been declared in the North Carolina city and what does this mean?

A STATE of emergency was declared today in response to violent demonstrations in a US town.

North Carolina’s Governor Pat McCrory announced the decision in the early hours of the morning.

McCrory wrote on Twitter: “I have declared a State of Emergency & initiated efforts to deploy the Nat'l Guard & Highway Patrol to assist local law enforcement in CLT”

The move came in response to disorder in Charlotte, which saw police use tear gas on crowds of hundreds of protesters chanting “Black Lives Matter”.

One person was shot and is reported to be in a critical condition on life support after a second night of violence in the city, following the fatal shooting of Keith Lamont Scott by a police officer.

One cop was also injured and was transported to a hospital with undisclosed injuries.

A total of 12 were hurt the night before as demonstrators torched marked police vehicles.

But what is a state of emergency? What does it mean in practice?

State of emergency

A state of emergency is a situation of national danger or disaster in which a government suspends the normal rules in order to regain control.

It informs citizens of the change to a set of emergency rules – which can include suspending some of people’s usual rights and freedoms.

In the US, a state of emergency can be national or at the level of the individual state or area.

A state governor or local mayor can declare a state of emergency in their jurisdiction, allowing emergency personnel to be deployed.

In Charlotte, this meant Governor McCrory was able to deploy the National Guard – similar to the Army Reserve in the UK – to support the regular police.

READ MORE:

THE STORY SO FAR Who is Keith Lamont Scott? Man behind Charlotte shooting protests was ‘disabled and unarmed’ – here’s what we know

RUNNING FOR THEIR LIVES Terrifying moment gunshots ring out at Black Lives Matter protest after demonstrator is hit by car

WATER FIGHT TURNS INTO RIOT Cop and two others stabbed during Hyde Park water fight as youths chant ‘Black Lives Matter’

Previous states of emergency

A state of emergency was declared just a few weeks ago in parts of Florida and Georgia in the wake of Hurricane Hermine.

Like in Charlotte, this allowed thousands of National Guard troops to be deployed in support of the emergency services as 12ft floods devastated many areas.

And in Turkey, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared a state of emergency after the failed coup attempt against his government in July.

In practice, this meant the European Convention on Human Rights was suspended, allowing police to arrest and detain suspected plotters at will.

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