CHARLOTTE — A Charlotte man has filed a federal lawsuit against the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, claiming officers unlawfully arrested him and used excessive force during a viral incident outside a Bojangles in 2023.
The lawsuit stems from the November 2023 arrest of Anthony Lee and Christina Pierre, who were detained after officers claimed they were smoking marijuana.
Video of the encounter drew widespread attention after an officer struck Pierre more than a dozen times during the arrest.
In the lawsuit, Lee alleges the substance involved was legal hemp, not marijuana, and claims officers made the arrests based solely on the sight or smell of the substance without sufficient evidence.
Channel 9 has reached out to CMPD for a response to the allegations. The department had not responded at the time of publication.
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