CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Three Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) security guards may lose their jobs after a controversial incident on the Lynx Blue Line near the Charlotte Transportation Center.
People depend on public transportation to get where they need to go.
"It is convenient, and I like not being frustrated driving,” a rider Martha Camacho said.
After several acts of violence on CATS buses, rails and property, the agency stepped up its security efforts. CATS started a contract with two security companies including Strategic Security Corp in October.
“Security is here to help and protect everyone,” Camacho said.
But an incident that happened on Nov. 17 could cost three of those employees their jobs.
The video WCNC Charlotte obtained from CATS shows a man sitting on a platform playing with a dog. After a short while, he falls over the bench and his prosthetic leg detaches from his body.
CATS said the security guards approached him with the belief he was drunk. The agency said they told him to leave the fare zone several times. The incident drew a large security presence.
At one point, the man grabs his prosthetic and throws it their way. That is when several security guards drag him off the property and leave him on the floor platform.
The video shows those security guards hauling the disabled man off by his arms, legs and even clothing. While another guard brought the man’s belongings, and the dog he was with trailed behind so a guard tied its leash to his bags.
Once on the ground, the man is seen putting his hand on his head several times. A security guard walks over and brings him the prosthetic which the man flings back at security guards, who then sets it down by his belongings.
There are a couple of issues for CATS. The main one is how the security guards handled a man possibly in crisis. To make matters worse, after dragging him off the platform, the security guards did not get him any medical help.
“The manner in which the security guards handled the removal did not adhere to CATS standards or procedures, nor did it align with the contractor’s guidelines,” CATS said in a statement. “The appropriate protocol in this situation would have been for the security guards to approach the person and request medical assistance and contact a member of the “CATS Connect” team to respond.”
CATS said they have a program called CATS Connect within the security division to assist people who are in crisis, struggle with mental illness, or substance abuse to help connect people with the resources they need.
After reviewing the incident, CATS said the contractor relieved the three guards of their duties and recommended their termination. Meanwhile, all the guards who witnessed the incident are facing disciplinary action and will need to have additional training.
“It’s a fine line between doing your job but not being too excessive with it,” another rider Tilithia Robinson said.
“More training is due ... other than force them to lose their jobs.,” Camacho said.
Charlotte City Councilman Ed Driggs said termination is excessive.
“We need to consider that the position of the officers can be difficult at times," Driggs said. "They encounter people who are not responding well. People who are misbehaving, who are offensive, so we need to make allowance that these security officers are human."
He adds that the three security officers should be given more training.
"There needs to be several instances where they demonstrated that they could not learn and were not going to get any better,” said Driggs. “Termination is a big deal. You take away someone’s job and livelihood… there needs to be a good reason for that, and I don’t know if this is?”
CATS said the actions taken by the three security guards do not reflect the agency’s values and support the decision for review made by the contractors.
CATS statement: CATS wants to emphasize that the actions displayed by these security personnel do not reflect the values of CATS and are completely against CATS’ standards. We hold every interaction with our community in high regard and aim to treat all members with respect and dignity. The rapid action taken by CATS security division in investigating this incident is a testament to our commitment to these values.
Contact Jesse Pierre at jpierrepet@wcnc.com or follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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