CHARLOTTE (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department released a statement Tuesday after video surfaced online showing an officer striking and punching a woman during a double arrest Monday in the southwest Charlotte.
Bojangles confirms with Queen City News that the woman had recently clocked out from her shift and left the property when the incident occurred.
The two arrests happened at 2 p.m. Monday, Nov. 13, at South Tryon Street and Arrowwood Road. CMPD said Anthony Lee and Christina Pierre were smoking marijuana in public when officers came up to them, and Pierre reportedly punched an officer in the face.
CMPD reports that Lee was armed with a gun. Both people reportedly refused arrest at the scene, and CMPD said a “struggle with officers began.”
Lee was taken into custody and was found to be in possession of a 9 mm handgun, police said. Pierre was lying on her hands and was refusing arrest, CMPD said. One of the CMPD officers at the scene threw multiple strikes, hitting Pierre in the right thigh, and “stop resisting” was said several times to her, CMPD said on Tuesday.
Video surfaced online of the officer striking Pierre several times at the bus stop.
After several orders to stop resisting, CMPD said the officer struck the woman seven times with knee strikes, and ten punches “to the peroneal nerve in the thigh to try and gain compliance.” CMPD said the “officer was intentional about where the strikes were made.”
CMPD said in part, “These are tense situations that have the potential to escalate quickly. Police use of force is never easy to watch. Officers are trained to strike large muscle groups in order to gain compliance during an arrest.”
CMPD Chief Johnny Jennings issued the following statement on Tuesday:
Lee has been charged with carrying a concealed weapon, resisting, obstructing, delaying, and possessing marijuana. Pierre has been charged with assault on a government official, resisting, delaying, obstructing, and possessing marijuana.
Bojangles, located at 7735 S Tryon Street, issued this statement to QCN:
“Like many other Charlotteans, we were shocked and saddened by the video of an incident between Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police and a Bojangles employee. While we wait to learn more of the details of what led to the incident, we plan to cooperate fully with any investigation.
We can confirm that the individual in the video and her partner had recently clocked out from their shifts at Bojangles and left the property. They both remain employed by Bojangles at this time.
Please direct all further inquiries to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.”
Internal Affairs is actively investigating this incident, CMPD said.
