Video: Mecklenburg Sheriff McFadden says he’s been betrayed by former staff

Days after his former business director sued him, Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden released a video statement in which he said he has been betrayed by former employees.

McFadden, who has been sheriff since 2018, has been mired in controversy for almost a year. Two chief deputies have quit in scathing resignation letters. Retired Chief of Detention Telisa White told The Charlotte Observer recently that McFadden is narcissistic and unprofessional. Other people who worked for him have made similar claims.

“Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from the mediocre mind,” the sheriff said, reciting a quote often attributed to physicist Albert Einstein.

Ryan Oehrli covers criminal justice in the Charlotte region for The Charlotte Observer. His work is produced with financial support from the nonprofit The Just Trust. The Observer maintains full editorial control of its journalism.

Ryan Oehrli

The Charlotte Observer

Ryan Oehrli writes about criminal justice for The Charlotte Observer. His reporting has delved into police misconduct, jail and prison deaths, the state’s pardon system and more. He was also part of a team of Pulitzer finalists who covered Hurricane Helene. A North Carolina native, he grew up in Beaufort County.