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Panthers “continuing to monitor events” in advance of Sunday’s game

Charlotte Police Fatal Shooting

Demonstrators protest Tuesday’s fatal police shooting of Keith Lamont Scott in Charlotte, N.C. on Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2016. Protesters rushed police in riot gear at a downtown Charlotte hotel and officers have fired tear gas to disperse the crowd. At least one person was injured in the confrontation, though it wasn’t immediately clear how. Firefighters rushed in to pull the man to a waiting ambulance. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

AP

There are bigger problems in Charlotte right now than Sam Bradford and the Vikings.

So with riots gripping downtown last night and the potential for more in the future, the team is playing wait-and-see in regards to Sunday’s home game against Minnesota.

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

One of the primary concerns for the team at this point is simple public safety. With law enforcement resources diverted elsewhere trying to maintain order, the number of police officers able to work the game could be compromised.

Protests devolved into violence Wednesday for the second straight night following Tuesday’s shooting of Keith Lamont Scott by a black Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police officer. One person was shot during last night’s protests downtown, within blocks of where the Panthers play.