Five officers from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) have resigned and a sixth remains suspended after allegedly exchanging racist texts, the department confirmed. The messages surfaced during an investigation into misuse of the department's Flock camera system.
Police Chief Estella Patterson said the texts, described as "deeply troubling," prompted a full review of body-worn camera footage and arrest records involving the officers, along with a request to the FBI for a civil rights investigation.
Officers named in personnel files
The department released personnel files on Monday identifying the officers after a public information request by local media. The five former officers are Mateo Juarez, Joseph Kelly, Tredan Maronic, Matthew Osborn, and Alexander Larsen, all hired in 2023 or 2024. Chief Patterson has cited them for termination.
A sixth officer, Jeremiah Todman, hired in 2022, remains suspended pending the outcome of the investigation and a civil service board review, according to a CMPD statement. A seventh officer, Seth Elliot, resigned in August after being alleged to have improperly viewed Flock camera data, days after his arrest by the North Carolina Bureau of Investigation for illegally accessing a government computer.
Chief's response and community concerns
At a news conference on Thursday, Patterson addressed the community's concerns, stating, "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." She added, "Although the officers involved in this investigation were hired before my tenure as chief, that does not lessen my responsibility or my commitment to making sure that what was discovered in this case is not a systemic problem in this organization."
Patterson did not disclose the content of the texts, which contained racist slurs and alleged use of the N-word, according to ABC News. Local outlet WSOC reported that one of the messages likened the officers to a "clan rally," an apparent reference to Ku Klux Klan rallies.
Next steps and accountability measures
Patterson said she intends to seek revocation of the officers' state law licenses and has begun auditing body-worn camera footage. "We will not allow the misconduct of a few to define the whole," she said, while acknowledging the majority of employees serve with respect and professionalism.
None of the officers have been charged with criminal wrongdoing in relation to the text exchanges. ABC reported that it was unclear if any other than Elliott had retained an attorney, and that his lawyer, George Laughrun, did not return a request for comment. The Guardian has contacted the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Fraternal Order of Police lodge for comment.
