CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Following a violent arrest that was caught on camera, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department is seeking solutions to improve its relationship with the community.
CMPD held a news conference on Tuesday, saying it will implement recommendations from its community and police collaboration group in response to an arrest that happened outside a south Charlotte Bojangles back in November.
Officers were seen punching a woman several times while her hands were behind her back. The charges were dropped for the people seen in the video.
Some of the changes CMPD will make include creating a dedicated de-escalation addendum to the existing response to resistance policy, improving early intervention system reporting, a focus on slowing down police interactions and assessing situations through officer training.
"One of the things we discussed in our agency is the duty to intervene looks differently among different situations," Deputy Chief Jacquelyn Bryley said. "One of the differences between the viral video and watching the actual bodycam footage is the time, the matter of seconds that pass by, and discussing better ways of communication. There was some communication, but discussing levels of communication when there is compliance after some type of compliance strike."
CMPD Chief Johnny Jennings released a statement on X, saying the agency is always "working to improve and better serve our community."
CMPD says these recommendations were created in collaboration with a diverse group of community organizations, including the Citizens Review Board, Latin American Coalition and the NAACP.
"Any change is better than what we had yesterday," NAACP Charlotte Chapter President Reverend Corine Mack said. “I think we needed more input, and we needed more voices in the room, but I’m appreciative of the fact that we even had a voice in this conversation.”
The group also recommended that CMPD not investigate or arrest for the smell or use of simple marijuana.
It’s a step that Lauren Newton, the attorney for the woman arrested in the controversial video, agrees with.
“If our district attorney is not going to prosecute simple possession, then why are we wasting our resources and tax dollars to arrest people for simple possession,” Newton told WCNC Charlotte.
CMPD pushed back saying marijuana is still illegal in North Carolina, while officers continue to have the discretion to enforce it. CMPD will also not be pushing for the legalization of marijuana, noting that the department will not advocate for the legalization of a product that currently violates the law.
Newton maintains her client had a legal product from a local smoke shop. She said she still wants to see more changes, but this is a step in the right direction.
“The group put forth some commonsense recommendations that are in a sense coming from the community and perhaps this is a group that should stay on as a permanent task force,” said Newton.
When asked if a civil lawsuit was still on the table, she said everything is still being considered at this point. Meanwhile, she said Pierre, who experienced trauma from the incident, is getting therapy and is on a path towards recovery.
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