CHARLOTTE, N.C. — On Monday, Charlotte-Mecklenburg police made public the personnel records of seven officers connected to a group text thread filled with racist messages, naming the people at the center of a case that has shaken the department for weeks.
Six of the officers were cited for termination on Oct. 9. Since then, five of the six have quit instead of waiting to be fired, with the latest resignation coming on Monday, Oct. 19. The one who has not resigned, Jeremiah Todman, is still suspended without pay while his case goes before the Civil Service Board, which alone has the power to fire sworn officers in Charlotte.
Seth Elliott, a seventh officer, was part of the same text matter. He was put on leave July 29 after state agents arrested him on a charge of illegally accessing a government computer, a case linked to misuse of the Flock license plate camera network, and he resigned Aug. 4 during the internal investigation.
In releasing the files, the department said it was following the state law that makes certain personnel information public and trying to correct misinformation about who was involved. CMPD noted that North Carolina law bars it from releasing the race or ethnicity of its employees.
Chief Estella Patterson has called the messages deeply troubling. She has said the department will seek to strip the officers of their North Carolina law enforcement certification so they cannot work as police anywhere in the state. She has also said an internal review of their arrests, traffic stops and body camera video has not so far turned up anything showing they specifically targeted Black drivers.
Federal prosecutors are weighing whether a civil rights case is possible. U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson has said such cases carry a very high burden of proof, but that his office will bring charges if evidence of a crime turns up.
Section: More Charlotte NC crime news
Filed under: Charlotte NC Public Safety News
