Local
CMPD moves to dismiss three officers after racist messages surface in investigation
Three Charlotte-Mecklenburg officers have resigned, and a department board has recommended firing three others, after an investigation uncovered messages containing racial, sexual and religious bias. The department says its review has not so far found evidence that residents were targeted in stops or arrests.
Three Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department officers have resigned after an internal investigation uncovered text messages containing racist and other biased language, Chief Estella Patterson said Thursday, Oct. 15.
Six officers were involved, Patterson said. An independent chain-of-command board unanimously recommended that the other three be fired. Patterson said she agreed with the recommendation, but the city’s Civil Service Board has final authority over the termination of sworn officers.
Patterson said she had not read all of the messages but described their contents as showing racial, sexual and religious bias. Anonymous sources previously told a local television station that the messages included a contest over which officer could stop the most Black drivers, along with racist language about using force against Black residents. Those details have not been publicly confirmed by Patterson.
The department reviewed arrests, traffic stops and body-camera footage involving the officers. So far, Patterson said, the audit had not identified evidence that Black drivers were specifically targeted. Charlotte Mayor Robert Harrington said the department also reviewed complaint histories and found no evidence to date that residents were targeted.
Patterson said the department will seek to have the officers’ North Carolina law enforcement certificates revoked, which could prevent them from working as officers elsewhere in the state. She has also asked partner agencies, including the U.S. Department of Justice, to assist with an investigation.
U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson said his office is examining whether the matter warrants a civil-rights investigation. He said such cases require a high burden of proof and involve balancing possible misconduct against First Amendment protections. Ferguson said he had not personally reviewed the messages, but his office would prosecute if evidence of a crime emerges.
The messages reportedly came to light during a State Bureau of Investigation probe of CMPD officer Seth Elliott over alleged misuse of the Flock camera network. The allegations have prompted scrutiny of police conduct and the department’s ability to maintain public trust while determining whether the messages were accompanied by discriminatory actions.