CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department on Tuesday released body camera footage of a November 2021 shooting in which a CMPD officer shot a suspect who would not drop his weapon.
Body camera footage released
In addition to releasing the body camera footage, CMPD published a nearly-10-minute produced video in which a lieutenant with the CMPD Public Affairs Office narrated the details of the incident. The videos were released after media outlets petitioned the courts.
WCNC Charlotte has confirmed that Charlotte City Council saw both the produced video and the raw body camera footage before the videos were released to the public.
CMPD does not usually produce narrated videos to accompany the release of body camera footage, though it's not clear at this time why the department did in this instance.
WCNC Charlotte reached out to CMPD, asking if the department was planning to have a press conference to address questions from journalists regarding the release of the body camera video. CMPD told WCNC Charlotte the narrated video released accompanying the footage served in place of a press conference, and no further questions will be publicly addressed at this time.
Rev. Corine Mack, President of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg NAACP called the presentation of the body cam video problematic.
“They have edited the tape and had ample opportunity to give a presentation from their perspective," Mack said.
She worries these events may lead many-- especially people of color -- to further question the trust and transparency with police.
“We’re trying to build trust here, but you can’t build trust if you are giving us your narrative which is always biased," Mack said.
November 5, 2021
On Nov. 5, 2021, around 6 a.m., CMPD officers responded to Winding Cedar Trail after a man, Derrell Raney, said he found two dead bodies. Officers searched the area but found no evidence of the claims. According to CMPD, members of the Crisis Intervention Team urged Raney to be evaluated at the hospital, but Raney refused treatment.
The officers found Raney to be lucid and not a danger to himself or others, so were not able to seek involuntary commitment papers on the family's behalf, but did notify his family of the situation.
Later that same day, around 4:30 p.m., officers responded to 9025 Albemarle Road for an unrelated matter. While there, officers responded to a separate call at the Food Lion next door. While at the Food Lion, Walmart security approached officers and said someone in the parking lot had pointed a gun at a security guard.
Around 5:50 p.m., the security guard pointed CMPD Officers Longworth and Edmunds in the direction of Raney, who was seated in the grass with a backpack in front of him and his right hand concealed by the backpack.
At this point, the CMPD officers can be heard in the videos giving verbal commands to Raney, asking him to show his hands. Raney did not comply, according to CMPD, then partially removed the gun from the backpack. The officers gave commands for Raney to drop the firearm.
CMPD said Raney began to raise the firearm up toward officers, at which point both Officer Longworth and Officer Edmunds fired their service guns, then secured Raney's gun.
Raney was taken to a nearby hospital and treated for injuries, but was pronounced dead around 6:30 p.m.
Investigation continues
The State Bureau of Investigations is the primary agency investigating the case. The Internal Affairs Bureau is conducting a separate but parallel investigation, as is standard, to determine if CMPD policies and procedures were followed.
Officers Longworth and Edmunds are on administrative assignment pending the investigation.
WCNC Charlotte is working to learn more about the incident and the investigation that's followed.
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