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Panthers game to feature extra security amid Charlotte protests

NFL, Carolina Panthers, Minnesota Vikings

The Carolina Panthers' home game against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday has been declared an "extraordinary event" as the city of Charlotte, North Carolina, looks to ramp up security in an effort to enhance public safety.

The declaration was made by Charlotte interim city manager Ron Kimble on Saturday night. Sunday's game is set for 1 p.m. ET at Bank of America Stadium.

According to the news release, an extraordinary event is defined as a "large-scale​ event or an event of national or international significance which might attract a significant number of people to a certain geographic area of the city."

The designation allows the city to "modify its permitting process for activities such as parades and specifies particular items that are prohibited from being brought into certain boundaries of the event."

There have been both peaceful demonstrations and violent protests in Charlotte every day since Tuesday night, when a black Charlotte police officer shot and killed 43-year-old Keith Lamont Scott, who is also black, in an apartment complex parking lot about 15 minutes from Bank of America Stadium.

The protests moved within a few blocks of the stadium on Wednesday night, turning violent with gunshots, vandalism and police setting off tear gas bombs in an attempt to break up the protesters.

Protests in Charlotte were peaceful on Saturday night, and Panthers president Danny Morrison told ESPN's Britt McHenry, "We are good to go" for Sunday.

Morrison also explained steps the team took in the offseason to enhance security.

"This offseason, we constructed four new security posts around the stadium to account for people coming onto the property," Morrison said. "There are now 95 walk-through magnetometers, which will be used in place of the wanding procedure for screening. Additionally, camera coverage and explosive detection canine teams have been enhanced."

ESPN's David Newton and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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