CHARLOTTE, N.C. — State investigators have been requested to determine if someone with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department's crime lab failed to properly analyze biological evidence in recent criminal cases.
The Mecklenburg County District Attorney's Office said Wednesday that CMPD alerted them to possible procedural irregularities with recent work performed by a staffer in the lab. While an internal investigation is underway at CMPD, the district attorney has also asked the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (NCSBI) to see if the issues violated criminal law.
The district attorney's office said it will identify current and previous cases that could be impacted. Defense attorneys will be notified of any new information, the district attorney's office said.
CMPD provided the following statement from Chief Johnny Jennings to WCNC Charlotte:
Our commitment to accuracy identified a procedural error in a recent testing procedure conducted by a civilian analyst in our Crime Lab. During a senior analyst's secondary review, an issue was discovered involving a deviation from the standard control sample protocols. We want to be clear: there was no manipulation of any evidence. The error only involved the control sample that was used to verify the test results.
CMPD reported this concern to the District Attorney’s Office who launched an investigation. The lab is conducting a comprehensive review to ensure all procedures have been consistently followed. This analyst was immediately placed on unpaid administrative leave pending the outcome of this investigation.
The DA's office said they learned of the inquiry late last week and got more details this week.
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