City Responds After Video Shows CMPD Tear Gassing Protesters

CHARLOTTE, NC — Charlotte city leaders are meeting with metro residents in two upcoming open forums to discuss policing and community racism following the emergence of a video of police action that included the dispersal of "riot control agents" Tuesday night. In the video, protesters were seen running and screaming as officers trapping and targeted them with what those on the ground described as tear gas, pepper balls and flash bang stun grenades.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said the incident occurred after officers were targeted by protesters.

"Last night was one of those times that none of us can be proud of," Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles said Wednesday evening. "That's not the kind of department we want to have for policing."

City officials have asked the State Bureau of Investigation to review footage of the incident to determined if police actions were lawful.

"In order to keep public trust, it's important with last night's events that we bring in the State Bureau of Investigations to investigate what happened last night," City Manager Marcus Jones said in a news conference.

City leaders will address residents Wednesday evening, as well as Friday, June 5, from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. on the front porch of the Charlotte Government Center to address questions about protesting, racism and policing, Lyles said.

"This is the beginning of a community conversation," Lyles said. "This is our first step."

During the course of the protests Tuesday night, officers arrested 16 people and recovered three firearms, one of which was an assault rifle, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said Wednesday afternoon.

Thousands of protesters convened in Uptown Tuesday to denounce the death of Minnesotan George Floyd killed by police last week during an arrest as demonstrations continued for another day in the Queen City and around the nation.

Floyd, 46, died Monday after being stopped by Minneapolis police investigating a reported forgery. Video from the scene showed former police officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on a handcuffed Floyd's neck as Floyd cried out, saying he couldn't breathe.

Floyd's death has sparked days of protesting and street violence in every major city in the country, including several in North Carolina.

Late in the afternoon Tuesday, thousands flocked to the Charlotte Government Center for a peaceful protest sponsored by the NAACP and Kidz Fed Up.Demonstrators crowded together, some wearing masks, holding signs above their heads. They chanted, "Hands up, don't shoot," and "I can't breathe."

"This is what democracy looks like," they yelled.

Hours later, however, tensions between protesters and police flared.

Around 10 p.m., CMPD reported on social media that fireworks were being thrown at officers, and that a large group was walking through Uptown.

"While some are being lawful some have begun throwing bottles of water at officers," CMPD said. "Violence is escalating putting protesters and officers in danger."

Some in the crowd began shining lasers at officers and a "chemical agent" was thrown at a bike officer, who was treated at the scene, CMPD said in a tweet.

CMPD then said officers gave dispersal orders, then deployed "riot control agents" to disperse the crowd. Those riot control agents included flash bang stun grenades, pepper balls, according to video posted to social media of an incident where tensions flared between protesters and police.

"Police have trapped protesters in a parking garage and begun hitting them with flash bangs and pepper balls unprovoked," Queen City Nerve posted.

Footage from the incident shortly after 10 p.m. shows an intense, chaotic scene as police advanced on protesters corralled on a street.

"What began as a lawful protest yesterday afternoon took a considerable turn for the worse just before 9:00 last night," CMPD said Wednesday evening in a statement. "Several officers became targets for violent protesters bent on turning a lawful demonstration into a riot."

CMPD said that within four hours, officers reported at least 18 incidents of protesters throwing objects at officers. In the last six days, officers have reported at least 53 incidents of assault, the department said.

Shortly before 10 p.m., police gave a group of several hundred protesters several orders to disperse. When they didn't, officers launched a coordinated operation with riot control agents.

"There is nothing to indicate whatsoever that there was intentional abuse on the part of our officers," CMPD said.

"It is regrettable, and something we take seriously. We have an enormous responsibility to ensure all of our operations are carried out with precision," the CMPD statement said. "We as an organization need to learn from this incident, and redouble our efforts to ensure that we’re doing everything we can to keep the community, protesters and officers safe. We are a learning organization and always working to identify opportunities to serve our community better."

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