Video shows CATS security guard punching, kicking teen in head at uptown station
A video circulating on social media shows a Charlotte Area Transit System security guard punching and kicking a teen in the head outside the Charlotte Transportation Center in uptown.
The nearly minute-long video, posted by the Instagram account @charlittt.nc, shows a uniformed female security guard throwing a young woman to the ground and punching her in the head repeatedly before a male security guard intervenes and pulls her off.
The female security guard moves past the male security guard and kicks the young woman in the head.
More security guards showed up and handcuffed the woman who was beaten as she sat on the ground. She yelled at the security guard who attacked her that she was 17-years-old.
The Instagram post did not credit who filmed the videos.
CATS spokesperson Brett Baldeck said in an email for this story that the fight occurred Tuesday after the security guard was “reportedly assaulted while performing their duties.” Baldeck did not say how the security guard was assaulted.
CMPD arrested the young woman at the scene, Baldeck said. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department spokesperson Brian Gallagher said she is a minor.
“Per standard procedure following any use of force or physical altercation, PSS is conducting a comprehensive internal investigation into the officer’s response to ensure all protocols were followed,” Baldeck’s email said.
Professional Security Services is the company that contracts with CATS to provide transit security guards.
A second video post by @charlittt.nc showed another angle. The video shows a security guard holding back a male security guard who is moving toward a young man who throws his backpack on the ground, and appears ready to fight as the woman is being handcuffed.
A fight between a member of the public and CATS security guards at the transit center has been captured on video before.
In December 2024, Joshua Overton, 32, died during an altercation with security officers. It also circulated on social media, showing officers with Strategic Security Corp. — a previous CATS security vendor — hitting the man with a baton, knocking him to the ground, and handcuffing him.
CMPD and the district attorney didn’t file any charges in the death of Overton.
Security company’s statement
Lee Ratliff, assistant chief at Professional Security Services, said in a phone call Thursday, after publication of this story, that the security guard in the video was moved from her post at the transportation center while the company conducts investigations. She was not suspended, Ratliff said.
“PSS is cognizant of the incident and has initiated two investigations: a Criminal Investigation and an Internal Investigation regarding the matter,” Ratliff said in a written statement. “The Criminal Investigation will concentrate on applicable criminal laws and the actions of the officers involved.”
The findings will be given to the district attorney’s office for review, Ratliff’s statement said. The internal investigation will compare the security guards’ actions to the company’s policies , the statement said.
“Both investigations will be conducted thoroughly and comprehensively, taking into account the totality of the circumastances,” Ratliff’s statement said.
Safety concerns at the transit center
Business owners at the transportation center and city leaders raised safety concerns after a string of assaults, robberies and homicides. Police charged two people in the killing of Leashan McBeath, 21, who was stabbed and robbed at the transportation center on Feb. 20, 2025.
And Jeremiah Deshawn McCree, 20, was arrested after Qualo Trevon Daniels, 31, was killed in the crossfire of a shootout between McCree and another person on April 12.
In May, CATS interim CEO Brent Cagle announced plans to end the lease of most businesses at the uptown transportation center in an effort to decrease loitering and curb crime.
Safety concerns on CATS transit
CATS has come under scrutiny for security shortfalls that have left riders vulnerable to crime and violence, according to a “special report” from the state auditor’s office. Although the city has increased spending on CATS security, staffing shortages persist.
An analysis of crime data on CATS transit by The Charlotte Observer last month showed most crime occurs on buses, not light rail trains.
This story was originally published March 12, 2026 at 12:42 PM.
