Jesse Jackson Comments on Charlotte Riots, Tulsa Shooting

Following the shooting of an African-American man by a police officer in North Carolina Wednesday, protests erupted in Charlotte—the state’s largest city.

Keith Lamont Scott was shot and killed by an African-American police officer, after refusing to adhere to the officer’s commands to drop a handgun, according to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Kerr Putney.

Jesse Jackson, founder of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition and civil rights leader, joined the FOX Business Network to discuss the violent protests.

“I would urge us to look at the context of this rebellion,” Jackson said. “These public executions are a lot to take. It’s Walter Scott, it’s Baton Rouge, it’s, in the case of Tulsa, Okla., that’s fueling this.”

The Reverend added: “In the case of Charlotte there is suspicion they’re covering something up. So you have this cloud of public, kind of legal lynchings. That is deeply emotional and people react with their gut. [It’s] one thing for neighbor on neighbor to have a shootout. But, when the ultimate authority with the gun and the badge has authority to be the arresting officer, the profiler, and the executioner, that is a lot to take.”

When asked if violence and looting, as opposed to peaceful protests, was acceptable, Jackson said no, but likened the situation to the recent Wells Fargo (NYSE:WFC) scandal, in which more than 5,000 employees were fired after creating false bank and credit card accounts.

“One of the biggest looters last week was the bank, that had 5,300 people, another big looting,” he said.

In Oklahoma, an unarmed black man was shot last Friday by police. Video appears to show Terence Crutcher with his hands in the air before being killed by a white officer.

Jackson said society has gone too far.

“We’ve become much too violent period… when the police literally—and as the camera becomes the conduit of justice—shoot somebody with their hands up in the air again, that’s wrong. And those who do it should face the full weight of quick justice,” he said.

In order to help calm tensions in the U.S., Jackson explained what needs to be done.

“Ultimately there needs to be a policy conference on violence, causes and cures, and racial disparities which are substantial and very open, and suffering as well as a plan for reconstruction. We cannot keep limping along.”

He added:

“I think we should ban assault weapons, we should have background checks. Open-carry guns is very risky and very dangerous and very wrong.”