Employees Raise Safety Concerns After Airport Officer-Involved Shooting

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Some employees at Charlotte-Douglas Airport are calling for more security, one day after an officer-involved shooting there.
It happened at an employee parking deck in the business valet area.

“Shots fired! Shots fired! He tried to run me over!” shouted CMPD Officer Xeng Lor, over the radio.

Police say he fired his service weapon Tuesday night, hitting 20-year-old Xyavier Calliste twice, near the airport’s business valet garage.

Lor was investigating after an airport employee reported a suspicious vehicle followed them into a restricted employee parking area around 9:30.

“Today at work, a lot of female agents were nervous, they were very nervous, everyone was sending texts saying, ‘Be careful,’” says Donielle Prophete, who works at the airport.

Prophete says the incident underscores issues she and others have raised about employee safety at the airport.

“We need more security, you know, we need better security,” says Douglas Christian, who also works at the airport.

Prophete and Christian, members of CWA Local 3645, are calling for better lighting,security cameras, and emergency call boxes. They met with police Wednesday to discuss ongoing issues and brought up last night’s shooting.

Christian says the airport needs to be proactive in addressing issues for employees who work all hours of the day.

“11, 12, 1 ’o’clock in the morning, they’re coming to their cars in the employee parking lots, and you never know who’s there, what element is there,” Christian says.

WCCB Charlotte asked airport leaders about cameras. They told us they, “cannot discuss specifics to security.”

They did give us a statement reading in part: “The safety and security of our employees and passengers is our number one priority.

The Aviation Department continues to work closely with CMPD and our tenants to review security measures…”

The suspect, Calliste, showed up at the hospital Tuesday night. He is expected to recover.

When he’s released he will be charged with First-Degree Trespass and Assault with a Deadly Weapon on a Law Enforcement Officer.

Police say he also has outstanding warrants in South Carolina.