More than half a dozen Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department officers have been recommended for termination or have resigned after an investigation uncovered alleged racist text messages, including discussions about a competition to see who could pull over the most Black drivers, according to WBTV.
The messages reportedly included racial slurs in discussions about using force and firing guns at Black residents..
The messages surfaced during a North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation probe into Officer Seth Elliott’s alleged misuse of Flock Safety, a network of license plate-reading cameras. Investigators downloaded text messages and other data from Elliott’s phone and turned the material over to CMPD, which launched its own internal investigation.
WBTV reported Tuesday (October 13) that the department cited six officers for termination, while other officers allegedly involved in the thread had already resigned. The officers worked in multiple divisions, including North Tryon, Freedom and University City.
The termination recommendations are not final. Officers can appeal through the department’s review process, and Police Chief Estella Patterson has the final say on whether they will be fired.
Community leaders have called for accountability. Robert Dawkins of Action NC told WBTV the allegations raise concerns about officers working together to target Black residents.
“The problem comes when you tell me there are six, seven officers working together, talking together and making plans to pull over black people,” Dawkins said. “That’s when it gets to be systemic, and that’s when it’s a real problem.”
CMPD did not confirm or deny the specific allegations in its response to WBTV. The department said it would not tolerate behavior that contradicts its values or jeopardizes public trust.
Defense attorneys have raised concerns that the racist messages could undermine the credibility of officers involved in criminal cases, potentially giving defendants grounds to challenge their testimony, WBTV reported.
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