PINEVILLE, N.C. — More than two months after a sergeant with the Pineville Police Department shot and killed 46-year-old Dennis Bodden during an apparent fight, footage from officers' body-worn cameras has been released.
The department shared three videos to YouTube on Saturday, August 3. Two of the videos are the raw, unedited footage from two different officers' cameras. The third is a critical incident briefing video that offers the department's summary of the shooting.
Warning: The videos linked contain graphic images that may be disturbing for some viewers. Discretion is advised. The videos can be viewed at this link.
Bodden was accused of stealing from a Food Lion grocery store and was initially approached by an off-duty sergeant employed by Pineville Police. He kept running to an apartment complex across Johnston Road from the store and in Charlotte city limits. Police said he tried reaching for the sergeant's gun during a fight, and the officer fired his gun.
In both of the videos taken from the officers, Bodden is seen walking while commands are given to him to stop. One officer uses a stun gun on Bodden, and he falls down but gets back up. He also appears to bite an officer at this point.
The confrontation continues in the Berkshire Place apartment complex with two officers on scene now. However, this is when Bodden, during the fight with two officers, appears to reach for the sergeant's gun. The sergeant then fires what appear to be three rounds into Bodden's torso.
Bodden stumbles off for several steps before falling to the ground again. Footage confirms he is wounded and bleeding. He is eventually handcuffed.
One officer confirms Bodden was hit at least once in the chest. Officers use a knife to cut off his raincoat to find the wounds for treatment. Bodden eventually appears to become non-responsive as additional first responders arrive.
Questions about how the sergeant and the department responded to Bodden were raised in the aftermath of his death, particularly because Pineville Police said he was known to them. One neighbor at the Berkshire Place complex, where Bodden lived, told WCNC Charlotte he had severe mental health issues. She also said Bodden tried breaking into her apartment and threatened her with a baseball bat.
Corine Mack, president of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg NAACP chapter, asked why a crisis response team wasn't brought in since he was known face mental health needs.
"If in fact, and it looks as if that's the case, there are some mental health issues, where was the Pineville Police mental health crisis team?" Mack asked. "I believe if that team was deployed for this particular situation he would be alive today."
While Bodden had a criminal history, including previous shoplifting charges and a pair of outstanding felony warrants tied to that Food Lion, Mack asserted he didn't deserve to die.
"It's sad that shoplifting would end with the loss of life," she said.
Bodden's family called for a full investigation into the shooting. In June, his mother Cleopatra said he lived with bipolar schizophrenia. She also noted he had graduated from college with a biochemistry degree and from law school.
"They demonize my son like he was a common criminal and he was not," Cleopatra said. “They call me and they offer prayers and the Holy Spirit. I’m a Christian. I believe in Jesus Christ and I believe in the Holy Spirit, but where was the Holy Spirit and their humanity when they shot my son down like a dog.”
In early July, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department announced it would not file criminal charges in Bodden's shooting. CMPD was investigating the possibility of criminal charges since the Berkshire Place complex is within Charlotte city limits. The Mecklenburg County District Attorney's Office also deemed the shooting a justified use of force, noting that the footage appeared to show Bodden reaching for the sergeant's gun during the fight.
The officer involved is back to full duty.
If your loved one was impacted by this incident, WCNC Charlotte hopes to make this process less painful with our More Than A Number initiative. With your help, we want to share who your loved one was with our viewers in North Carolina and South Carolina. When you're ready, fill out the form below or send us photos, memories and other details about them to desk@wcnc.com.