Photo: Getty Images
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department found no evidence that racist text messages exchanged by six officers affected enforcement actions or criminal cases, despite allegations that the officers competed to pull over Black drivers, QCity Metro reported.
Police Chief Estella Patterson announced the findings Thursday (October 15) after an internal review of the officers’ body-worn camera footage, arrest records, external complaint histories, and traffic stop data, according to QCity Metro.
As previously reported by BIN, the messages allegedly revealed officers competing to pull over Black drivers. Patterson said the thread, which spanned several years, contained racial, sexual, and religious bias and involved six department employees from three racial backgrounds, according to QCity Metro.
“As of this point, we have not found any evidence of this,” Patterson said regarding potential biased enforcement, according to QCity Metro.
Patterson described her reaction to the messages as “one of disgust, anger and frustration.”
“The allegations against them are serious, they're deeply troubling, and frankly, I'm disappointed that we're even having to talk about this today,” Patterson said.
“As a Black woman who began my career here in this very department, it is especially painful and disheartening to hear concerns from our community about racism coming from within the ranks of this organization.”
The messages surfaced during a State Bureau of Investigation inquiry into an officer’s misuse of license plate reader technology, according to QCity Metro. Three of the six officers have resigned, and an independent chain-of-command board unanimously recommended terminating the remaining three.
Patterson said she supports the recommendation and that the department will seek to revoke the officers’ North Carolina law enforcement certifications. She also asked federal authorities, including the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, to review the case for potential civil rights violations, QCity Metro reported.
Charlotte Mayor Rob Harrington told the publication, “Racism and bias have no place in our police department or anywhere in our city.”
The Black Information Network is your source for Black News! Get the latest news 24/7 on The Black Information Network. Listen now on the iHeartRadio app or click HERE to tune in live.