
Disturbing videos have emerged of protesters brutally attacking white bystanders in Charlotte as violent demonstrations continued to engulf the city, 48 hours after a black man was shot dead by police.

A man was dragged and beaten by a mob while begging for mercy, an unconscious photographer was almost tossed into a fire, and a CNN correspondent was slammed to the ground in the midst of the chaos.

It was the second night of unrest following the deadly shooting of Keith Lamont Scott, 43, by African-American cop, Brentley Vinson, 26, at an apartment complex on Tuesday afternoon.

Police said 44 people were arrested for a variety of crimes such as assault, breaking and entering, and failure to disperse. At least 14 people, including five cops, were taken to hospital.

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A white man was dragged and beaten by a mob of protesters in a Charlotte parking garage while begging for mercy. It came just hours before a state of emergency was declared in the North Carolina city as a result of the violence

A photographer (seen right in the orange shirt) is dragged away from a fire after being knocked unconscious by a group of protesters in the midst of the chaos

Police officers standing nearby then ran over and protected him from other demonstrators before he was taken to hospital

Keith Lamont Scott (pictured left) was shot by Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer Brentley Wilson (right) at The Village at College Downs in Cahrlotte at about 4pm on Tuesday. Police insist Scott was armed, but his family have maintained he was only reading a book when he was gunned down

North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory declared a state of emergency and has called in the National Guard after clashes on Wednesday night.

Major companies with offices in the downtown area - including Bank of America, Wells Fargo and Duke Energy - told employees not to come into work on Thursday.

Charlotte Mayor Jennifer Roberts had considered putting a curfew in place in a bid to control the disorder, which is set to continue, but police have said they don't think the restrictions are needed.

Roberts added that Scott's family will be shown the video of the police shooting on Thursday, but it will not be released publicly.

Police Chief Kerr Putney defended not making the footage available, saying it would impact the integrity of the investigation, even though he initially promised transparency during the case.

During a press conference on Thursday, he said: 'Transparency is in the eye of the beholder,' he said. 'If you think I say we should display a victim's worst day for consumption, that is not the transparency I'm speaking of.'

Putney also slammed the protesters who vandalized parts of the city and warned them they would be brought to justice.

An official who watched the footage told CNN that Scott made an 'obvious threat' towards officers before he was shot. Another person claimed Scott also had an ankle holster.

However Putney said the video was not conclusive, and does not definitively show him pointing the gun. He added that his staff are thoroughly investigating all of the footage.

Scott's family has asked the Mecklenburg County District Attorney and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) to conduct their own investigation into the shooting.

Under state law, he is required to ask the SBI to investigate if he gets a request from family of a person killed with a firearm by an on-duty officer.

Putney and the Mayor were offered extra resources by the state on Wednesday morning, but turned them down as they didn't anticipate the scale of what would unfold last night.

We have the latest on the #CharlotteProtests following the fatal officer-involved shooting of #KeithScott. View: https://t.co/BGOofpgmyp pic.twitter.com/K2SluvZpq4 — TWC News Charlotte (@TWCNewsCLT) September 22, 2016

CNN reporter Ed Lavandera was body slammed live on air while reporting from Charlotte during the second night of violence

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Kerr Putney (pictured right alongside Mayor Jennifer Roberts on Thursday) defended not making the footage of the deadly shooting available, saying it would impact the integrity of the investigation, even though he promised transparency during the case

Mayor Roberts pleaded for peace and calm in Charlotte after the second night of violence. She urged people the city was still 'open for business' despite the vandalism and disorder

The United Way of Central Carolinas headquarters in Charlotte was boarded up after management told employees not to come to work on Thursday

Business owners were left to clean up broken glass and debris after stores were destroyed during the demonstrations

Police stand by a damaged storefront stemming from overnight protests following Tuesday's police shooting

An extra 700 law enforcement personnel are being brought into Charlotte on Thursday night as the city braces for further violent protests

An investigator from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department peers through a broken window in Charlotte

An extra 700 law enforcement personnel will be on the street in Charlotte on Thursday night, with more violence expected.

Scott's relatives have said he was just reading a book when he was gunned down, but police insist they found a weapon at the scene.

A man, believed to be Scott's brother, was captured on video saying all white people are 'f***ing devils' just after the shooting.

One of the demonstrators was shot in the head outside the Omni Hotel and is fighting for his life. Two police officers also suffered eye injuries.

He was later identified as Justin Carr. His mother told WCNC he had 'no brain function' and was still in a critical condition on Thursday morning.

BLACK FATHER'S FAMILY WILL BE SHOWN VIDEO OF SHOOTING, BUT FOOTAGE WON'T BE RELEASED TO GENERAL PUBLIC Differing stories: The family of Keith Lamont Scott (pictured with his wife Rakeyia) will be shown the video of his final moments; they insist he was carrying a book, not a gun Keith Lamont Scott made an 'obvious threat' towards cops and had a gun and ankle holster, an official has claimed. The official told CNN's Nick Valencia that they had seen the body camera video which captured the final moments of 43. The family of Scott will be shown the video at some time today, but the footage will not be released to the general public. Scott was shot dead by a black officer in the parking lot of an apartment complex on Tuesday afternoon. Jennifer Roberts, the Mayor of Charlotte, said at a press conference that the family of Scott would be shown the video of the shooting at some point today. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Kerr Putney defended not making the footage available to the wider public however, saying it would impact the integrity of the investigation. Putney said the video was not conclusive, adding that his staff are thoroughly investigating all of the footage and that it would only be released 'when there is a compelling reason' to do so. 'I'm not going to release the video right now,' he said on Thursday morning. 'The family made a request to see it and we're looking to accommodate that request.' Despite their refusal to release the video, both he and Mayor Roberts have pledged a 'transparent investigation'. 'Transparency is in the eye of the beholder,' he said. 'If you think I say we should display a victim's worst day for consumption, that is not the transparency I'm speaking of.' A new state law which will go into effect on October 1 will prevent police from releasing body camera footage to the public without a court order. Campaigners however have said the video could be released prior to the end of the month. Advertisement

A window repairman assesses the damage to a police car window on East Trade Street in downtown Charlotte

A worker looks at the damaged caused by protesters at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte during the violence

The Hall of Fame is in the heart of Charlotte and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the city. Many other attractions and museums were closed on Thursday

A stall in Charlotte knocked over by demonstrators is left on the ground. Workers were seen walking around as calm was restored in the city on Thursday morning

The windows of a Charlotte Hornets merchandise store are boarded up after looters broke in on Wednesday night

A 'Black Lives Matter' scribbling is seen on the window of a building near the Charlotte Transit Center

A Charlotte Police Officer stands guard at the EpiCentre, a complex full of bars and restaurants in Charlotte

A Bank of America branch near the EpiCentre was also boarded up after protesters broke some of the windows

Police fire teargas as protestors converge on Charlotte after the shooting of Keith Lamont Scott

Tear gas smoke rises as police line-up and face protesters during the second night of violence in Charlotte

Officers fire tear gas canisters into the crowd in a bid to push them back during a confrontation in the Charlotte

Peaceful: Guardian reporter Matthew Teague captured Henry Lee, 51, who chose to protest the shooting in his own way, by silently refusing to leave his chair; he dubbed him the 'calmest man in Charlotte'

A cameraman and reporter for WCNC-TV were also attacked while a CNN correspondent was body-slammed during a live broadcast.

Shocking video from one street also shows a photographer helplessly lying on the road just inches away from a blaze.

Police were then seen running over to help him up before he was taken to hospital, reports suggest.

CNN National correspondent Ed Lavandera was speaking to Anderson Cooper on camera at 9.16pm about how the crowd had turned violent when a man in a white shirt and dreadlocks ran into him.

He fell to the ground in the middle of the broadcast, prompting concern from the host.

'Ed, are you OK?' Anderson asked. 'Yeah, yeah, yeah, we're fine, Anderson, we're fine,' Lavandera told Cooper. 'It's just someone taking out their frustrations on me.'

U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch on Thursday called for a 'peaceful way forward' and offered local officials support from the FBI and other arms of the Justice Department.

'I know that these are difficult times, and I know that the events of recent days are painfully unclear and they call out for answers,' Lynch told reporters. 'But I also know that the answer will not be found in the violence of recent days. Let us all seek a peaceful way forward.'

Lynch said the department would send four community relations officers to Charlotte and said the department's Office of Community Oriented Police Services and the local FBI had also offered assistance.

There was calm in the city on Thursday morning, but large parts of downtown had been devastated.

Demonstrators walk near a damaged bus. The North Carolina governor has declared a state of emergency in the city as a result of the dangerous clashes

A man reacts to falling glass after a window was broken on a building lining the streets where the demonstrators marched

A window at the restaurant City Smoke is smashed in uptown Charlotte during the protests

A man arrived back at his store early on Thursday morning to scrub off 'Black Lives Matter' graffiti from one of his windows

A National Guard Humvee leaves an armory near Charlotte, North Carolina, early on Thursday morning after they were deployed by North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory

Many businesses and buildings, including the NASCAR Hall of Fame, were hit by vandals and looters.

Crews started work at dawn outing plywood over dozens of smashed windows, clearing debris and getting the Uptown area back to normal.

'I heard our company got calls for 42 windows, glazer- mechanic Robert Jordan told MailOnline.com as he worked on his fifth of the day at the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

'I'm getting plenty of overtime but I just hope we are not here tomorrow doing the same again.'

But fear of more violence Thursday night was on everyone's mind in the upscale area of town as they wondered whether all their work may all be in vain.

Many businesses - including the city's two main banks, Wells Fargo and Bank of America - remained shuttered as workers were told to stay home.

The Epicenter, an Uptown meeting place packed with bars and restaurants that had seen some of the worst violence on Wednesday night, also remained closed.

An overturned kiosk on the second floor was a reminder of the chaos of a few hours earlier.

The Omni Hotel, where a man was shot and critically injured, and where police had thrown teargas canisters in response to violent attacks, was open for business as usual with guests checking in and out.

At 300 South Tryon Street, where a new 25-floor skyscraper is under construction, a giant American flag was hoisted on to a crane atop the building as a sign of defiance to the rioters.

Police officers begin to move protesters down a street as the demonstration against police brutality intensified

Hundreds of protesters shut down large parts of the downtown area of the North Carolina city as they confronted police

A protester is taken into custody by Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officers in Charlotte during the disorder

UT KNOXVILLE PROFESSOR AND USA TODAY COLUMNIST SUSPENDED FROM TWITTER FOR TELLING HIS FOLLOWERS TO RUN DOWN CHARLOTTE PROTESTERS Suspended: Glenn Reynolds (left), a UT Knoxville law professor, has been suspended from Twitter for telling followers to 'run down' protesters upset by the cop shooting of a black man A University of Tennessee in Knoville law professor and sometime USA Today columnist has been suspended from Twitter for telling his followers to 'run down' Charlotte protesters. Glenn Reynolds, who posted on Twitter under the handle @Instapundit, made the post at around 9pm Wednesday, linking to a report about the protests with the words 'Run them down.' But he apparently didn't realize he'd made a controversial point until he was contacted by press. 'Ah. I saw it was suspended and didn't know why,' Reynolds told the Knoxville News Sentinel in an email Thursday morning. Reynolds, who is also a columnist for the News Sentinel, told the paper that he supported peaceful protesting against police violence and had demanded more accountability from police 'for years.' But he said he didn't support what he saw as 'riots' in Charlotte. 'And locking interstates and trapping people in their cars is not peaceful protest,' he added, 'it's threatening and dangerous, especially against the background of people rioting, cops being injured, civilian-on-civilian shootings, and so on. Advertisement

Time Warner Cable Arena, home of the NBA's Charlotte Hornets, which was described as 'real torn-up' on Wednesday night, showed few signs of visible damage by Thursday apart from a few sheets of plywood where glass should have been.

Nearby, police cars, damaged by rock attacks were having their windshield quickly replaced.

At Buffalo Wild Wings where a mob broke down windows to gain access after it had closed at five hours early at 8 pm, clean-up crews had pretty much completed their work by noon.

But Lola, a barmaid who declined to give her last name, said the restaurant would remain closed all day Thursday.

'It's not because we fear more damage, just that we won't quite be ready,' she said.

'They burst in and overturned a lot of tables and smashed screens. They turned the place upside down.'

The mayor said she wants people to know Charlotte is open for business Thursday. But at least three major companies told workers to avoid downtown offices.

A man is still on life support after being shot as a peaceful protest over the fatal police shooting of a black man turned ugly at Charlotte's Omni Hotel - but was not wounded by a police officer. A demonstrator is seen attending to the critically injured man as the violence erupted in the North Carolina city

Police and protesters carry the critically injured protester into the parking area of the the Omni Hotel after he was shot

A man crouches over blood left on the sidewalk seconds after a protester on Trade Strett was shot in the head

Officials from the Carolina Panthers said they are working with law enforcement officials and will monitor the situation ahead of their game against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.

There were reports the game could be moved from the Bank of America Stadium. Team executives are set to meet on Thursday to discus their options.

The North Carolina National Guard arrived at a Charlotte armory early Thursday and some Guard vehicles left the armory about 8 am.

The regional United Way building across the street from the hall was also damaged. Lobby windows were smashed. Officials don't know if anyone entered the building.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools are operating on a normal schedule, as is Mecklenburg County government. The regional bus line says it has restored service to all lines.

Some protesters expressed anger at the lawlessness exhibited by fellow demonstrators. One woman was heard shouting, 'Stop - that's not what this is about,' as young men broke bottles in the street.

Ryan James, who was at the protest said he saw a civilian fire a pistol 'indiscriminately' outside the Omni Hotel before fleeing.

'There was a loud pop, then panic and confusion. Standing about 10 yards away, I looked down the barrel of a pistol,' he wrote in a first-person piece for The Daily Beast.

James said the shooter was a black male and that he stood at the intersection of East Trade and South College streets with the weapon still aimed before running away.

After the shooting of the protester, demonstrators began throwing bottles, dirt clods and fireworks at the officers. The police fired flash grenades and then tear gas back, dispersing the crowd of several hundred.

Protesters responded by hurling trash cans and potted plants.

The man shot in the head was later identified as Justin Carr. His mother told WCNC he had 'no brain function' and was still in a critical condition on Thursday morning

Many businesses and buildings, including the NASCAR Hall of Fame (pictured), were hit by vandals and looters

A store selling merchandise for the Charlotte Hornets was also trashed by looters

Some of the demonstrators charged at police as the violence in the city escalated. Officials believe the unrest will continue

But groups of protesters kept marching around downtown, followed by police in riot gear who continued to fire tear gas at them.

'It seemed to me the shot came from within the crowd,' said one man who was just three feet from where the dreadlocked man fell.

'He fell face down. Then people crowded around him. Then, after a few seconds they were pushed back and a firefighter and another man lifted him up and carried him into the lobby of the Omni.'

'It's come to this. We had a nice march, but a few people came here to make trouble,' protester Tongie Antunes told DailyMail.com. 'It makes all African Americans look bad.'