Calls for transparency after an alleged racist text thread involving CMPD officers

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – WCCB has been asking the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department to confirm whether six officers have been recommended for termination after the discovery of a racist text thread.

CMPD did not respond directly to our question but did send us what they call a general statement that reads, in part, “We will not tolerate any behavior that contradicts our core values or jeopardizes the trust we have built with the community we serve.”

The text thread allegedly contains use of the n word, conversations about firing guns at Black residents and talk of a competition to see which officer could pull over the most Black drivers.

Darlene Harris is a civil rights attorney in Charlotte at Power and Protection Law Firm. She is disturbed by the allegations.

“We know that CMPD has a very high percentage of pulling over Black drivers compared to white drivers,” Attorney Harris said. “So this kind of gives us a little insight to some of what we already knew.”

She says she now questions any case touched by officers in the alleged text thread.

“I do think that training is important, but I do not think more training is the solution,” Attorney Harris said. “You cannot out-train racism.”

The alleged messages were discovered during an investigation into CMPD officer Seth Elliott’s alleged misuse of Flock camera data.

“They came across it accidentally,” Attorney Harris said. “Something has to be done to where this is regularly monitored, where CMPD has some type of oversight when these officers are doing things.”

WCCB submitted an open records request to CMPD to get the names of the officers recommended for termination because of the alleged text thread. The department replied and said termination records are confidential.

“These officers, if people don’t know who they are, they can leave Charlotte and go to another police department somewhere else and continue the same behavior and that’s terrifying,” Attorney Harris said.

Any officer who is recommended for termination has the opportunity to appeal their case to the Civil Service Board. The board hears the cases almost like court hearing in a trial like setting. Instead of a judge and a jury, the officers will speak to a nine member board who will decide whether to support or overturn chief recommendation.