Man involved in viral arrest video sues City of Charlotte and two CMPD officers

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A man involved in a viral arrest video is suing the City of Charlotte and two CMPD officers. Attorneys from the Southern Coalition for Social Justice filed the lawsuit Monday on behalf of Anthony Lee.

Video from November 2023 shows Lee and his girlfriend Christina Pierre waiting at a bus stop in south Charlotte, when officers arrest them for smoking what they believed was marijuana. Lee and Pierre say it was legal hemp.

Police claim Pierre hit one officer and was resisting arrest before video shows an officer punch her at least 17 times. The lawsuit says Lee is seeking more than $25,000 in damages for injuries including emotional pain, psychological suffering, and humiliation.