CHARLOTTE, NC - SEPTEMBER 21: Protestors block traffic on I-85 during protests of an officer-involved fatal shooting September 21, 2016 in Charlotte, NC. The protests began the previous night following the fatal shooting of 43-year-old Keith Lamont Scott at an apartment complex near UNC Charlotte. (Photo by Sean Rayford/Getty Images)
Public defender: We can't lose any more lives
00:52 - Source: CNN

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"I can't represent anymore people," Toussaint Romain says

Romain also teaches criminal justice courses at University of North Carolina at Charlotte

CNN  — 

In his white dress shirt, dark tie and slacks, he stands out among the SWAT police and the mixed crew of civilians.

He was on the ground not long after crowds began gathering in downtown Charlotte to protest the police-involved shooting death of Keith Lamont Scott.

His name is Toussaint Romain and he’s a public defender in Charlotte, North Carolina.

11 charlotte protests 0921

He inserted himself between the wall of armored police and the amorphous crowd of demonstrators. As police advanced on the crowd, firing tear gas, he waved his arms forward, gesturing for protesters to leave.

His reason for being there was simple: He can’t take on any more clients.

“We can’t lose any more lives, man. I’m a public defender. I can’t represent any more people,” he told CNN’s Boris Sanchez.

“We don’t need any more people to go to die, no more people to be arrested. We need to take a stand and do it the right way. People are hurting, man. People are upset. People are frustrated. People need leaders. I’m not trying to be that leader. I’m trying to prevent people from being hurt.”

When asked how he felt about the protests turning violent, he responded: “There’s always one that’s going to end up being bad. There’s one other that’s there to do good. I’m here to do good.”

Romain has been a public defender for the past eight years and also teaches criminal justice courses at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, according to his LinkedIn profile

Like many offices around the nation, North Carolina’s public defenders have been beset with funding issues and heavy workloads, leaving them overwhelmed and handling too many cases with less time.

CNN’s Madison Park contributed to this report.