Charlotte police officers competed to pull over most Black drivers, attorney alleges
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump alleges CMPD officers used a text thread to compete on stopping Black drivers. Six officers face termination amid a state investigation.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg officers allegedly ran racist competition during traffic stops
According to uk.news.yahoo.com, civil rights attorney Ben Crump has alleged that officers with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) in North Carolina competed to see who could pull over the most Black drivers — a claim he posted on X on Tuesday.
Crump, who has represented the families of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd and those affected by the Flint water crisis, said the competition was documented in a text messaging thread among CMPD officers. He also alleged the officers used racial slurs in discussions about the use of force against Black people.
"A badge should NEVER be a license for discrimination!" Crump wrote. "These allegations call into question traffic stops and use-of-force incidents involving these officers!"
State investigation uncovers the texts
The text thread came to light during a North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation probe into CMPD officer Seth Elliott. According to local outlet WBTV, which first reported on the matter on October 12, Elliott has been charged with illegally accessing a government computer.
The charge stems from allegations that Elliott improperly used the surveillance system FLOCK Safety and the police database CJLEADS for "non-law enforcement purposes" on June 16, the police department said. Text messages recovered from Elliott's phone were subsequently turned over to the department.
A review of those messages uncovered a thread containing derogatory statements about Black people, WBTV reports. That finding prompted the CMPD to launch its own internal investigation.
Sources confirmed to WBTV that six officers have been cited for termination. Others allegedly involved have already resigned.
Department vows zero tolerance
In a statement obtained by WSOC-TV, the CMPD said it would not tolerate conduct that undermines its core values.
"The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department remains unwavering in its commitment to uphold the highest standards of integrity, professionalism, and service," the statement read in part. "We will not tolerate any behavior that contradicts our core values or jeopardizes the trust we have built with the community we serve."
Reverend Corine Mack, president of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg NAACP, confirmed that police Chief Estella Patterson informed her of the allegations by phone.
"I don't want to paint all of law enforcement with the same brush, but clearly, I'm concerned that you have bigots in uniform with state authority," Mack said. "And unfortunately, they can cost a person their life."
Defense attorneys call for case review
Defense attorneys Brad Smith and Tim Emery have told WBTV that past and present cases involving the officers should be re-examined.
"When you've got police officers on the force that are playing games and looking to pull people over because of nothing more than the color of their skin, they're predisposed to believe and to investigate certain crimes that may not be occurring," Smith said.
Emery told the outlet that the district attorney should consider whether cases implicating the officers in the controversy ought to be frozen. He pointed to a 1972 Supreme Court ruling requiring prosecutors to disclose information that could call into question the credibility of police officers or government witnesses.
The Independent has contacted the CMPD and George Laughrun, Elliott's attorney, for comment.
Source: Google News CA — Crime (EN)