2 Civil Suits Against Ex-CMPD Cop, City of Charlotte and CMPD Police Chief

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by Morgan Fogarty
Bio | Email | Follow: @MorganFogarty by Caryn Little
by Fox Charlotte

Story Created: Feb 23, 2011 at 12:39 AM EDT

Story Updated: Feb 23, 2011 at 6:06 PM EDT

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - "This is just beginning."  That from attorneys Brad Smith and Matt Arnold, who just filed two lawsuits on behalf of Charlotte residents Bianca Thorpe and Janada Putmon, two of the seven people ex-CMPD Officer Marcus Jackson admitted to intimidating and sexually assaulting while on duty.

The meat of these lawsuits is what CMPD and Chief Rodney Monroe knew, or didn't know, about Jackson before he was hired and also during his 15 month employment.  The suits indicate that before Jackson was hired, the police department did a background check on him and discovered a 2003 domestic violence order filed on behalf of his then 15-year-old girlfriend.  They say the department failed to review the 2003 order and took no action.

The complaints accuse CMPD of failing to properly conduct that background check, which also failed to reveal a 2005 domestic violence protective order.  Attorney Brad Smith says, "It's disturbing that the people chosen to be put in this place of trust either didn't know about these things or chose to ignore them."

The suits go on to detail a police report from 2009 where Jackson apparently lied about his speed when assisting another officer on a call. He first said he was going 45 miles per hour then changed it to  65 miles per hour.  CMPD ultimately found that Jackson was traveling at least 75 miles per hour.

The suits claim that at that time, Chief Rodney Monroe personally intervened to prevent CMPD from terminating Jackson's employment. 

Then, in 2009, Jackson went to his estranged wife's home and broke down the door.  Again, the complaints say Chief Monroe personally intervened on Jackson's behalf.

The suits allege that Monroe "intentionally turned a blind eye to Jackson's documented pattern and practice of abusing and intimidating young women and girls."

The women who filed the suits want a jury to hear their case and their attorneys say they want improved policies at CMPD, too.  Smith says, "Hopefully the police department will be a little tighter before they send these candidates off to the academy and put badges and guns on them."

We contacted CMPD's attorney.  He was unaware of the lawsuits and said he'll check them out Wednesday morning.  The city has already paid $575,000 to two of Jackson's other victims.  He is currently serving 25 - 35 months in prison.
 

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