Hillary Clinton in Charlotte: Every child deserves same sense of security
CHARLOTTE (WTVD) -- Presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton flew to Charlotte Sunday morning to speak at Little Rock AME Zion Church after cancelling her visit to the Queen City following recent turmoil over a fatal officer-involved shooting.
During her visit to Little Rock AME Zion Church she told parishioners that she wants an America where everybody is respected by the law and has respect for the law.
She asked them to imagine tragedies through a child's eyes and talked about how much fear African American children face in the world before encouraging everyone to take action to change things.
"It's been a hard year," she said. "Think of how many times Barack Obama has had to address tragedies."
"I will be sure that this is not just about a campaign or election," Clinton added. "This is an issue I have been fighting for."
Watch Clinton's full speech from Charlotte
Clinton also brought up to the podium the little girl who cried before Charlotte's city council last week in the wake of the shooting death of Keith Lamont Scott. Zianna Oliphant was among the speakers who said they were too scared to leave their homes.
Clinton acknowledged the gap in how white and black children are treated. She said that while she worries about her two grandchildren, her worries "are not the same as black grandmothers" noting her daughter's children are related to a former president and secretary of state.
"Let's be honest, they won't face the same kind of fear we heard from the young children testifying before the city council," she said. Clinton later met privately with community leaders at a downtown soul food restaurant.
RELATED: Charlotte girl's tearful plea goes viral
Clinton's Sunday stop in Charlotte came after she canceled her visit to the Queen City following the Sept. 20th shooting.
RELATED: Police: Man killed in Charlotte shooting was armed
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Kerr Putney said officers were searching for a suspect when they saw 43-year-old Scott exit a vehicle with a handgun. Officers told Scott, who was not the suspect they were looking for, to drop the gun. He got out of the vehicle a second time still carrying it, the chief said, and he was shot because he posed a threat.
Scott's family dispelled officers' account of the shooting; they claim that he was unarmed when he was shot by Officer Brentley Vinson, and instead was holding a book.
Chief Putney later told reporters at a news conference that a handgun was found at the scene, but no book. Putney said officers gave Scott multiple warnings to put down a handgun before fatally shooting him.
Read more about the shooting here.
Following the shooting, protesters in Charlotte clashed with police in riot gear. At least 16 officers were injured, including one who was hit in the face with a rock.
As the incident made national headlines, Clinton took to social media to comment.
"Keith Lamont Scott. Terence Crutcher. Too many others. This has got to end. -H," Clinton tweeted.
Clinton also referenced Terence Crutcher in her tweet, a 40-year-old unarmed black man who was fatally shot by a white police officer after his SUV stalled on the road last month.
RELATED: Clinton calls Tulsa police shooting 'horrible'
Information from the Associated Press contributed to this report
