"Protests over a police shooting in Charlotte have spiraled into chaos. Looting and violence have broken out, resulting in scores of arrests, at least five police officers injured, nine civilians hurt, and one civilian killed. The controversy began Tuesday after police killed 43-year old Keith Scott, shooting him to death after he allegedly brandished a handgun. Charlotte Police Chief Kerr Putney has been adamant that Mr. Scott, who had previous run-ins with the law, was armed. But today the chief backed off that a little bit, saying, 'The video does not give me absolute definitive visual evidence that would confirm that a person is pointing the gun.' But Chief Putney still insists Mr. Scott had a gun. What every responsible American should agree with is that you cannot break the law by looting, setting things on fire, and harming people under any circumstances. Fair-minded people know you let the investigation play out, you gather facts. In the Ferguson case, for example, once the facts were known, the myth that Michael Brown had his hands up and was not causing trouble was dispelled. I am fully aware that some African-Americans do not trust the police or the investigative process in general, and some have good reasons for that. But that does not give you license to go on a rampage. Today in Tulsa the police officer who shot an unarmed black man was charged with manslaughter. She will now stand trial; that is our system. If you reject the system and begin to commit crimes in the name of protest, you should be punished. It also hurts your own cause because mob violence will override any kind of injustice. Summing up, the violence in Charlotte is deplorable, sincere protest is admirable. Looting and hurting other people is unacceptable."

The Factor gave the remainder of Thursday's program over to Bret Baier, who reported the latest from Charlotte. "Police have not released any video to the public," Baier said, "but the family of Keith Scott has reviewed two police videos from a dash-cam and a body-cam. The family has released a statement saying that, while police did give Mr. Scott several commands, he did not aggressively approach them or raise his hands. They say it's impossible to say what he was holding in his hands and that they have more questions than answers." Bret turned to Fox News correspondent Steve Harrigan for the latest from the streets of Charlotte. "A crowd of has gathered," Harrigan said, "and it is growing steadily, but we are also seeing the presence of the National Guard, which is a sign of force from the authorities. The police have promised more force." Defense attorney Andell Brown then compared the shooting death in Charlotte with another fatality in Tulsa, Oklahoma. "In Tulsa there was a video that the community could evaluate," he said, "but here in Charlotte we have a community that is angry and distrustful of the police. It is never a solution to riot and act violently, but it is a symptom of when the people don't feel the system is there to protect them."

For more from Charlotte, Bret Baier welcomed Fox News correspondent Mike Tobin. "We just heard a chant," Tobin said, "and that is 'release the video.' But the police chief says he does not want to do that. Police presence is very light right now, they are trying to keep themselves scarce, but they know what is going on. The people out here are very passionate and they are marching without much police presence." Civil rights attorney Eric Guster reacted to the large influx of out-of-town protesters in Charlotte. "Police brutality and police misconduct are things that every African-American has dealt with," he said. "We have protests such as this because people are very passionate about what they believe in, and I am not shocked that a lot of people are here from out of town." Andell Brown again urged Charlotte authorities to release the videos that could shed more light on the shooting of Keith Scott. "We have such a high level of curiosity, the community wants answers. I don't see how the investigation would be tainted by letting the community see the video."

Finally, Bret asked FNC's Juan Williams to scrutinize the political ramifications of the racial unrest. "If you go all the way back to Trayvon Martin," Williams said, "this is the number one political issue in black America. This clearly signals that the issue has exploded onto the national scene and it is not about any one place. There are questions about transparency and honesty by the police." Williams theorized that the chaos in North Carolina may benefit Hillary Clinton, at least when it comes to the black vote. "Donald Trump has been trying to reach out to the black community, but the black community is almost totally behind Hillary Clinton. She is trying to be a voice for people in black and Latino communities who have not been heard. Trump has emphasized the 'law and order' message, while Hillary Clinton is emphasizing that she has more of a capacity to bring the races together. She is trying to reassure suburban white women that it is a better bet to go with her."