CMPD chief: ‘Context is crucial’ before you judge Steele Creek incident | Opinion

As Chief of Police in Charlotte, I feel compelled to address the recent incident involving our officers in the South Tryon and Arrowood area of Steele Creek on Nov. 13. Social media and news snippets often lack context; however, context is crucial for our community.

My officers are tasked with being proactive: engaging with the community, addressing crime hotspots and tackling violent offenses. This proactive approach has contributed to a three-year decline in violent crime.

Steele Creek’s South Tryon and Arrowood area has experienced 194 violent crimes in the span of three years. We monitor such high-crime areas and deploy increased patrols to manage criminal activity.

I encourage you to base your viewpoint of this incident in totality. I watched these videos, and they are not easy to watch. Officers identified a potential crime at a city-owned bus stop, approached the individuals and attempted to take them into custody.

A loaded firearm was located on the male who was about to get onto a city bus.

Marijuana possession remains illegal in North Carolina, and the officers had probable cause to make the arrest. The substances located on the male subject tested positive for marijuana.

While most interactions involving marijuana do not result in an arrest, an individual’s actions can ultimately determine the outcome. Six years ago, we had over 100 arrests with the only charge being possession of marijuana. In 2022, we were at 10 arrests and in 2023 through November, we were at 13 arrests for this same charge.

However, we recognize that marijuana use and distribution are often linked to violent crimes. Marijuana was the primary factor in 15 homicides over the last two years. Thirty six percent of all homicides in 2022 and 35% of all homicides in 2023 involved a marijuana presence.

There are a lot of people who care about marijuana and its impacts on this community; not everyone wants it to be legalized. Our residents see this activity happening in their neighborhoods and want police to address it.

Furthermore, while officers are trained to de-escalate and interact peacefully, they must also be prepared to respond effectively to resistance. When faced with assaults, refusal to comply with lawful orders and active resistance, officers are forced to take necessary measures to ensure their safety and make arrests.

Our officers undergo rigorous training that covers various situations including defensive tactics and de-escalation techniques. Some may question the necessity of certain training methods, particularly those involving physical combat. However, such training is about preparing officers to respond to diverse threats ranging from resisting arrest to active shootings. It ensures their ability to protect themselves and others.

The Internal Affairs hearing on the seven officers involved in this incident has concluded and ruled that six officers were exonerated (justified) and one officer was sustained (not justified). Fourteen strikes to the female’s leg came after her hands were behind her back. These strikes were not deemed justified.

If the officer made an assessment after three leg strikes, he would have seen that they were effective, and the female’s hands were behind her back. The officer will receive a 40-hour suspension as a result.

I want to thank the independent Internal Affairs Board for their thorough investigation.

Although I will never enact a policy that prohibits officers from enforcing the law, we are committed to continuous improvement and actively review our training practices. Transparency and accountability are paramount, and we welcome open dialogue and feedback. This is why I asked Charlotte-Mecklenburg Community Relations to launch a group who will review our Response to Resistance Policy and identify potential areas for improvement.

We will not falter in protecting our communities. We will never compromise the safety of our officers or the citizens we serve.

The dropped charges in this case are obviously concerning to me. It should never be acceptable for an officer enforcing the law to be assaulted without legal consequences. While I have expressed my disappointment to the Mecklenburg District Attorney’s Office, they ultimately hold the prerogative to pursue prosecution.

This incident highlights the challenging and complex nature of law enforcement. Let us engage in constructive dialogue and work together to build stronger communities where everyone feels safe and respected.

This story was originally published December 12, 2023 at 4:11 PM.