What the Charlotte protests mean for the Carolina Panthers

North Carolina Governor Par McCrory has already called up the National Guard to support the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police as protests over the killing of Keith Scott have turned violent.

The City of Charlotte is the center of the latest firestorm after the fatal shooting of Keith Scott by a police officer led to protests that have grown increasingly violent over the last two days. This puts added pressure on local officials, and possibly the NFL, as to how to handle the upcoming Vikings-Panthers game at Bank of American Stadium on Sunday.

North Carolina Governor Par McCrory has already declared a State of Emergency, while the National Guard has been summoned to support the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police. That may be just the first step, however. Indeed, if the protests continue into the weekend, that department would be stretched to the limit trying to protect fans attending the game while still covering the rest of the city in case there is a repeat of the violence.

At just after 10:00 AM Thursday morning, the Panthers issued the following statement:

“We are in contact with government officials, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department and the NFL. We are continuing to monitor events as we prepare for Sunday’s home game.”

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This is not the first time The Queen City has had to deal with an incident similar to this. It was just a year ago that the city dealt with unrest following a mistrial of Randall “Wes” Kerrick, the  Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Officer accused of fatally shooting an unarmed college football player named Jonathan Ferrell. The resulting demonstrations spilled over to nearby BB&T Ballpark, home of the Charlotte Knights, just a few blocks from the Panthers home.

Each night the protests spilled over to interstates around the stadium closing them for some time. affecting both I-85 and I-77. If there is a repeat occurrence on gameday, it could create havoc in and around Bank of America Stadium.

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At this point, no one expects the game to be canceled or moved, but that could change depending on the length and severity of the demonstrations. Overnight, one person suffered life-threatening injuries from an apparent gunshot wound. It was originally reported that he was deceased.  In addition, four officers were injured.

The situation appeared to calm down by midnight; however, no one knows how each night will play out which is a cause for concern going forward. When does the NFL step in if the protests continue? Do they call off the game or try to relocate it? The latter is not something the league wants to consider.