A U.S. National Guardsman accepts a hug from a protester in Charlotte, N.C. (Photo: Mike Blake/Reuters)

On the third night of demonstrations in Charlotte, N.C., one man attempted to diffuse tension between police and protesters with hugs and was heckled by the crowd.

Thursday night’s gathering in Charlotte was the most peaceful night of protests there since demonstrations over the fatal police shooting of Keith Lamont Scott erupted into violence on Tuesday. North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory declared a state of emergency and deployed the National Guard to help local police, who used tear gas Wednesday night after protesters started blocking interstate traffic, looting local businesses and throwing bottles at cars.

Amid Wednesday night’s chaos, a protester was fatally shot in the head by another civilian, authorities reported.

The image of a young man in a “Free Hugs” T-shirt, embracing a line of officers clad in riot gear, seemed to symbolize the move toward much more peaceful demonstrations Thursday.

But not everyone was moved by the gesture. Fellow protesters yelled obscenities at the man as he offered hugs and kind words to the officers.

In return, the man tried to reason with his critics, insisting, “I hurt just like you guys hurt,” and arguing that it’s unfair to label all cops as killers: “None of these people here shot anyone.”

Note: The video below contains profanity.