Five Charlotte Officers Resign After Alleged Racist Texts
Five officers with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department in North Carolina have resigned after allegedly exchanging racist text messages. A sixth officer remains suspended in connection with the messages.
Police Chief Estella Patterson said the messages came to light during an investigation into misuse of the department's Flock camera system. The department released personnel files identifying the officers on Monday after a public information request by local media, according to The Guardian.
The five former officers were identified as Mateo Juarez, Joseph Kelly, Tredan Maronic, Matthew Osborn and Alexander Larsen. All five were hired in 2023 or 2024. Patterson had cited the five officers for termination.
The sixth officer, Jeremiah Todman, was hired in 2022. He remains suspended pending the outcome of the investigation and a civil service board review.
The discovery prompted a full review of the officers' body-worn camera footage and arrest records. The department requested an FBI civil rights investigation in connection with the alleged texts.
None of the officers had been charged with criminal wrongdoing in relation to the text exchanges as of the report. Patterson said she intended to seek revocation of the officers' state law licenses. One of the alleged messages likened the officers to a "clan rally," an apparent reference to Ku Klux Klan rallies.
A seventh officer, Seth Elliot, resigned in August after allegedly improperly viewing Flock camera data. His resignation came days after his arrest by the North Carolina Bureau of Investigation for illegally accessing a government computer.
On Oct. 15, Patterson had confirmed that three of six officers under investigation had resigned, with three more recommended for firing, according to Spectrum News. By Monday, Oct. 19, the department publicly identified seven officers connected to the investigation, by which time five had resigned. Patterson said her personal reaction to the messages was "one of disgust."
