CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Carolina Panthers safety Tre Boston hasn't decided if he will join San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick and kneel during the national anthem before Sunday's game against Minnesota.

But he is certain he wants to do something to encourage change against social injustice in the United States, especially under the current climate in Charlotte.

"Look how much backlash he took," Boston said of Kaepernick on Thursday. "That's a peaceful protest, am I right? When stuff like this happens in the world ... where are the people that are mad at Kaepernick for taking a knee? Is everybody still mad at him for trying to stand for something that is happening in this world?

"So do I see myself taking that knee? I don't know. I have to talk to some people and see if that's the best thing for me to do."

Boston has been re-evaluating whether to join Kaepernick's protest since Tuesday. That's when a black Charlotte police officer shot and killed Keith Lamont Scott, who also is black, in an apartment complex parking lot about 15 minutes from Bank of America Stadium.

The police said Scott exited his vehicle carrying a gun. Scott's family said he was unarmed and sitting in his car reading a book while waiting for his son to come home from school.

The ensuing protests have become violent, particularly the one that occurred a few blocks from Bank of America Stadium on Wednesday night.

Boston said he considered joining what was supposed to be a peaceful protest in uptown Charlotte, but didn't because he feared what might happen if things got out of control as they did with police having to use tear gas.

The last thing Boston wanted to do was come to practice on Thursday with his eyes or face burning from tear gas.

"As of right now, I feel like America has a problem," Boston said. "I don't feel like America is a horrible place. I love America. I love the military. I love everything that is going on for our country.

"But at the same time, there is wrong that is happening every day."

Wow this actually hurts, a city I've grown to love. Charlotte what are we doing? This is in my backyard. We must do better #KeithLamontScott

— Tre Boston (@TreBos10) September 21, 2016

More than anything now, he wants answers. He wants somebody to take ownership for what happened.

"I want to find out the whole problem," Boston said. "I want to know what's going on. I want to know the situation of the way it happened. Right now we haven't really uncovered the whole story of this.

"But my whole thing, when there is a bad guy, there needs to be ownership. And when there's not a bad guy, give us evidence, give us something that we can say, ‘You know what? This incident was handled right.' "

It saddens Boston to see what is happening in America, particularly when it hits so close to home. That's why he wants to do something, whether it's taking a knee during the anthem or something else.

"Growing up as a kid we're all taught to be selfless," Boston said. "So as a man now, trying to preach to the kids about being selfless, as adults we get to a point where we become selfish.

"Right now it's not about me. It's about a country. It's about individuals who have suffered from injustice."