CMPD officer’s ex says she’s ‘afraid’ after he’s charged in Rock Hill harassment case
A woman who had been in a relationship with a Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer before he was arrested for allegedly harassing her in Rock Hill told a South Carolina judge Thursday she’s afraid for her safety because of him.
Dylan Lineberger, 32, a nine-year CMPD veteran, faces first-degree harassment charges in Rock Hill from incidents last week, according to court testimony and an arrest warrant obtained by The Herald.
The woman said in court she had to move twice in the past month because she does not feel safe.
“I truly fear my safety, and the safety of my loved ones,” she said in Rock Hill city court.
Rock Hill Municipal Judge Dolores Williams set Lineberger’s bail at $10,000. She also ordered Lineberger to wear a GPS monitor while the case is pending and have no contact with the woman. Police extradited Lineberger to Rock Hill Wednesday after Lincoln County deputies arrested him Tuesday afternoon.
Rock Hill police: Ongoing problem from NC
Lineberger is accusing of trying to contact the woman several times in North Carolina after the break-up in September, according to documents and court testimony Thursday.
Lineberger allegedly drove a rental car to Rock Hill on Oct. 21, where he conducted surveillance outside an apartment before he threw Pepto Bismol on the woman’s car, Rock Hill police Detective Robert Smith said in court.
The arrest warrant stated video showed Lineberger passed the apartment nine times.
Lineberger then followed her a few days later to a Rock Hill grocery store and tried to contact the woman, Smith said.
“This is all part of an ongoing problem out of North Carolina,” Smith said.
The Rock Hill arrest warrant stated CMPD told Lineberger previously “not to contact or interact” with the woman.
A Rock Hill police victim advocate testified the woman reported Lineberger to CMPD Internal Affairs on Oct. 9.
Lineberger is on administrative leave at CMPD as that department conducts an internal investigation, CMPD officials said Tuesday. He works in CMPD’s Central Division.
Defense lawyer: Lineberger a decorated cop
Lineberger did not speak in his first Rock Hill court appearance other than to answer basic questions from the judge about the charge.
His lawyer, Chris Lusk of Columbia, told the judge that Lineberger has had a “well-decorated career” as a law enforcement officer in Charlotte. Lusk said Lineberger has no criminal record and is not a threat to the community or a flight risk.
Lineberger had voluntarily received mental health treatment before he was arrested Tuesday on the Rock Hill charge after leaving a medical facility.
Lineberger has a pending court date in North Carolina in November concerning the woman’s request for an order for protection against Lineberger — but that is not a criminal matter, Lusk said.
There is no evidence Lineberger tracked the woman, Lusk said.
“This is not someone who had run-ins with the law before,” Lusk said.
The Rock Hill charge is a misdemeanor that carries up to three years for a conviction under South Carolina law, police and court officials said Thursday.
No trial date has been set.
This story was originally published November 1, 2024 at 5:00 AM with the headline "CMPD officer’s ex says she’s ‘afraid’ after he’s charged in Rock Hill harassment case."
