CMPD addresses use-of-force policy in wake of infamous arrests outside Charlotte Bojangles

Jesse Ullmann
·3 min read
2
CMPD addresses use-of-force policy in wake of infamous arrests outside Charlotte Bojangles

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — On Tuesday, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police responded to 17 recommendations that were made by the Community and Police Collaboration Group following a disturbing use-of-force incident that occurred outside a Charlotte Bojangles.

The use-of-force incident and subsequent arrests happened on Nov. 13, 2023, at South Tryon Street and Arrowwood Road at a bus stop outside a southwest Charlotte Bojangles.

CMPD said Anthony Lee and Christina Pierre were smoking marijuana in public when officers came up to them, and the encounter turned physical, leading to their arrests.

WATCH TUESDAY’S FULL BRIEFING FROM CMPD HERE:

Bojangles confirmed with Queen City News that Pierre had recently clocked out from her shift and had left the property when the violent incident occurred.

A video posted online showing a CMPD officer hitting Pierre in the thigh multiple times while trying to arrest her went viral. At that time, CMPD said the strikes to the thigh were an approved tactic used by police to get a suspect to comply.

According to court records, charges filed against Pierre were dropped and the hearing she had scheduled for Dec. 12 was canceled. She had previously been charged with assault on a government official, resisting a public officer, and simple possession of marijuana.

Court documents show that her fiancé, Lee, also had his charges dropped and his first court appearance set for Dec. 12 was also canceled. He had faced similar charges.

After consideration of the body-worn camera evidence and the various recorded accounts of police and civilian witnesses present, based on the totality of the circumstances, the State does not have reasonable likelihood of success at any potential trial on this matter.

PROSECUTOR SHEENA GATEHOUSE

On Tuesday, April 9, CMPD said they will implement new recommendations including building a separate focus on de-escalation in the department’s ‘Response to Resistance Policy.’

Specific changes that are being implemented by CMPD include:

  • Creating a dedicated de-escalation addendum to the existing Response to Resistance Policy

  • Improving Early Intervention System reporting, including adding aggregated data for the CMPD’s Internal Affairs annual report

  • More focus on slowing down police interactions and assessing situations through officer trainings

  • Including family members impacted by various situations with police to be incorporated into recruit training

A full list of the recommendations and CMPD’s responses are detailed in a full report here.

“Community collaboration is at the core of our mission,” CMPD Chief Johnny Jennings said in a written statement, released on Tuesday. “If we are going to better ourselves and better our agency, we have to work together with the community at the head of the table. When I announced the formation of this group, I knew that conversations would bring challenging questions and recommendations, and we welcome that constructive feedback. As we implement some of these changes at CMPD following the conclusion of this group, my hope is that we will see positive changes as we continue to serve the City of Charlotte.”

The Community and Police Collaboration Group is comprised of:

  • City’s Community Relations Committee

  • CMPD

  • The Citizens Review Board

  • The NAACP

  • The Latin American Coalition

  • Clergy members

  • CMPD Ambassadors

  • Action NC

  • The George Floyd Global Memorial

Authorities said the group met for several months resulting in constructive conversations between Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police and a diverse group of community stakeholders.

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