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Public defender hopes to help Charlotte heal after violence, unrest

By Mark Barber
By Mark Barber

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Americans' respect for local police is at the highest levels since 1967, according to a new poll released this week.

The Gallup poll, conducted earlier this month, found 76 percent of people said they have a great deal of respect for police in their area -- up 12 percentage points from last year.

But the poll also shows racial disparities -- 67 percent of non-whites have a great deal of respect for local police, compared to 80 percent of whites.

The poll does not break down results from individual cities, so it doesn't indicate the level of respect in Charlotte and other cities with unrest after officer-involved shootings.

Community groups are trying to find ways to solve the deep-rooted problems that led to the unrest and violence in uptown last month, and Toussaint Romain is leading the charge for change.

He's a public defender who stood between police and angry protesters after the police shooting of Keith Lamont Scott.

Romain organized a meeting Monday night called "Where Do We Go From Here."

To move past Charlotte's deep and violent scars, he said the city needs to consider three questions:

  • How did we get here?
  • What can we do now?
  • Who else has done this?

Romain said issues like segregation by race and class have been building tensions in the city for years, and thinks people are ready now to address and change those problems.

“We gotta come together and collaborate and we're gonna do that,” Romain told Channel 9.

He said these conversations and meetings are just part of the healing process, and that all the talk needs to turn into action if the city is going to move forward.

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