In the ‘darkest parts of humanity,’ these Mecklenburg leaders shine for Charlotte
When a child in Charlotte is abused or a person strangled, their recovery route often takes them from the incident to the harsh lights of the hospital and police department. The Mecklenburg district attorney in December honored those who have softened that experience for victims and fought for justice in their names.
Spencer Merriweather presented awards to Andrew Key, a veteran detective in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s Crimes Against Children unit; Taneika Torres, a sexual assault nurse who helped develop the first protocol in treating and documenting strangulation; and Ann Glaser, a retired leader at the child advocacy center Pat’s Place.
He also honored retired Police Chief Johnny Jennings and district attorney supervisor Alecia Brown, who started a church with her husband in 2025.
Together, the group showed “outstanding service that advances the mission of the District Attorney’s Office, to seek justice and pursue outcomes that provide a safe and vibrant community where every person can live in peace,” Merriweather said in a news release.
Nurse brings ‘better chance of seeing justice’
When other nurses and prosecutors see Torres’ name on medical records they “know that ‘the survivor got the best care — as well as the best documentation of findings — available in Mecklenburg,” her nominators said. And any time Torres takes the witness stand in court, “one can be confident that, if nothing else, jurors will be disabused about myths surrounding how rape survivors present and respond to trauma.”
“She does this work not because it is easy but because it is a calling, and sexual assault survivors in Mecklenburg County have a better chance of seeing justice done in their case when Taneika is by their side,” the news release said.
‘Unwavering’ detective
Key for 14 years worked at CMPD and “served with distinction in the Crimes Against Children and Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Units.“
“Few understand the toll and courage required to review such evidence and pursue justice for the most vulnerable victims, yet Det. Key performed this work with unwavering professionalism and empathy,” working on his days off and continuing to spend time with cases even after joining the fraud unit, Merriweather said.
‘The darkest parts of humanity’
Glaser in 2025 retired from Pat’s Place after leading it for more than 10 years. She was “always willing and ready” to give testimony in felony child abuse cases, “using her mastery and knowledge to help jurors understand how child abuse affects children and how abusers exploit vulnerabilities to groom not only children, but also their families,” Merriweather said.
“Even when faced with the darkest parts of humanity, Ann’s spirit of resiliency and warmth is contagious,” a nominator said.
Prayer and praise
Brown has worked at the DA’s office for 15 years, supervising support staff for 12 of them.
Merriweather praised her new church, Go Church, which she and her husband founded. In recent months, they have prioritized donating school supplies and donating produce to families in need when the government shutdown affected those who rely on food stamps and SNAP programs.
Jennings’ career
Merriweather also honored Jennings, who retired in 2025 after serving five years as CMPD’s police chief. Merriweather recounted how Jennings rose into that position as the world reeled from the pandemic and the county from the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
“In his years at the helm, Chief Jennings would go on to demonstrate that the best police leadership can emphasize public safety and public service, without subverting one value in the name of the other,” Merriweather said.
Jennings launched the first formal customer service training curriculum for officers and “was the lead champion for the passage of the 2023 Pretrial Integrity Act, which, at the time, was the most significant meaningful change to the law of pretrial release in a generation, ensuring that more violent and repeat offenders remained in custody as they awaited trial,” Merriweather said.
But most of all, Merriweather wrote, Jennings was tasked with leading his department in community in the wake of the deadliest attack on law enforcement in North Carolina when a gunman opened fire on officers trying to serve a warrant in east Charlotte on April 29, 2024.
“He has been, through that tragedy and throughout his time in law enforcement, steadfast in his commitment to professional ethics, empathy for victims of crime, and the promotion of public service to one’s community,” Merriweather said.
