CMPD releases video of scuffle during controversial arrest at bus stop

CHARLOTTE — The body camera video of a controversial arrest at a bus stop in southwest Charlotte last month was released Tuesday morning.

In a viral video that was posted on social media last month, Christina Pierre is seen getting repeatedly punched by a police officer while at the stop on South Tryon Street and Arrowood Road. The video was quickly shared across Charlotte and made national headlines.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said the incident happened on Nov. 13. It started when an officer stopped Pierre and her fiancé for allegedly smoking marijuana.

Pierre was accused of punching an officer in the face as they arrested her, CMPD said in response to the viral videos.

CMPD released a series of body-worn camera videos and one video that was shared by an anonymous bystander. In those videos, they show the officers attempting to detain Pierre and her fiancé, Tony Lee.

It starts with two CMPD officers approaching Lee and Pierre as they’re sitting on a bus stop bench outside of a Bojangles. An officer says he smelled marijuana, but Pierre and Lee tell the officers they bought it legally at a smoke shop nearby. The pair told the officers it was a THC-A cigarette.

“You smoking weed? You guys smoking weed?” the officer asks.

“It’s coming from the store,” Lee says.

“We got it from the store,” Pierre says.

“Well I can smell it coming from that,” the officer says.

“We got it from the smoke shop!” Pierre says.

One of the officers says, “OK” and grabs Lee to detain him without saying he was under arrest. Pierre stands up from the bench and asks why they’re being detained.

“OK,” the officer says. “Well go ahead, do me a favor, put your hands behind her back.”

“Woah, woah, woah, what are you doing?” Pierre says.

“Could you stop? We just got off of work,” Lee says.

“What are you doing?!” Pierre says.

A struggle ensues, and the videos show multiple angles of the officers interacting with Lee and Pierre. During the struggle, one of the officers can be heard saying, “You’re under arrest.”

One of the videos shows Pierre pulling back from an officer while he’s holding her, and she appears to strike the officer in the shoulder area.

Still photos show woman hit CMPD officer during arrest outside of a Bojangles

Almost immediately afterward, the officer punches Pierre and takes her to the ground.

The videos show additional officers arrive as Pierre is on her stomach on the ground. The officers try to get both of her hands behind her back while holding her down. Her right hand stays under her stomach while the officers yell for her to put her hands behind her back. At that point, another officer uses his knee and fist to hit Pierre several times to get her to comply.

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The videos were released after CMPD petitioned the court to release them for additional context in the wake of the viral videos.

Monday night, Charlotte City Council reviewed the body camera video. Council Member Tiawana Brown told Channel 9 what she witnessed in the video.

“From the time that they pulled up on Arrowood Road at the Bojangles, I think that could’ve been done differently. Things could’ve been done differently. Things escalated really, really fast, and it was difficult for me to watch. So, I shared my concerns with my colleagues, and a lot of them agreed as well. But I do want to give Jennings his due diligence, and I also agree with Spencer on dropping the charges,” Brown explained.

The couple was facing charges for possession of marijuana, as well as resisting arrest. However, all charges against them have been dismissed by the District Attorney’s Office.

CMPD shared a lab result showing that the item seized from the couple contained “marijuana containing tetrahydrocannabinol,” but the lab result doesn’t specify whether the chemical was illegal Delta-9 THC or a legal variant.

Both Pierre and Lee now have legal representation.

Lauren Newton, the attorney for Pierre and Lee, questioned those findings. Newton said the report doesn’t specify whether it was the illegal THC or the legal THCA.

The couple is planning to sue the department in early 2024.

“This is a call that should not have been initiated to begin with,” Newton said. “And that’s what we’ve been saying all along.”

Aside from the 14 additional blows to Pierre, Jennings is defending most of the response, including the punch to the face, which he says internal affairs deemed justified.

Newton says there is no excuse.

“We can’t live in a society where we allow people to assault officers,” Jennings said.

“He talked about how we shouldn’t live in a society where citizens are able to assault officers. But what about when an officer assaults a citizen? That’s what we have here.” Newton said.

You can view the video here.

Internal investigation: 6 officers exonerated

In a statement Tuesday, Chief Jennings said of the seven officers involved in the arrest, six of them were exonerated. The actions of the seventh officer were found to be not justified.

Please see my statement regarding the findings of the internal affairs investigation into the recent arrests of Ms. Pierre and Mr. Lee: pic.twitter.com/jgePrrSkuQ
— Chief Jennings (@cmpdchief) December 12, 2023

In a news conference Tuesday, Jennings said that seventh officer, CMPD Officer Pistone, was suspended for 40 hours and is required to go through additional training that is deemed appropriate by the training academy.

Pistone is the officer who is seen hitting Pierre 17 times. Jennings said 14 of those strikes were while Pierre’s hands were behind her back, and therefore weren’t justified. He said Pistone should have stopped after the first three strikes and reevaluated his next steps.

“It’s very difficult when officers are put in these situations, but we also have a high risk,” Jennings said. “We also are held to a higher regard when it comes to making decisions -- just as anything that we do.”

Jennings spoke about how he had pushed for the video to be released, saying it offered a clearer picture of what happened at that bus stop on Nov. 13.

“From the beginning I said that the video release may not may or may not change opinions, but it will at least give a full perspective of everything that occurred on that day,” Jennings said.

Jennings said he doesn’t know yet if Pistone will ever return to a patrol division.

This is a developing story; wsoctv.com will provide updates.

VIDEO: Charlotte City Council to review body camera footage of controversial arrest on Monday