CHARLOTTE — The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department is conducting a department-wide review and audit of body-worn camera footage following a racist text scandal involving multiple officers.
CMPD Chief Estella Patterson confirmed that four of the officers involved graduated together in a 2024 academy class.
The text scandal was uncovered during internal probes into Officer Seth Elliot, who was investigated for misusing Flock cameras, and Officer Ana Mora Terrero, who was recently charged with assault.
In response, CMPD leadership is examining hiring practices and training standards to determine whether systemic issues exist within the department.
In February 2024, a recruit class at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department became the first to pilot a new Basic Law Enforcement Training curriculum developed over several years by the North Carolina Justice Academy.
The updated program extended training length from six months to eight months, placing primary emphasis on hands-on, scenario-based instruction.
[ PREVIOUS COVERAGE: 3 CMPD officers resign amid racist text message probe ]
Patterson addressed the shared background of the officers implicated in the text scandal during her news conference.
“I can confirm that four of them were from the same class; that was a class in 2024,” Patterson said.
She stated that CMPD is actively evaluating its recruitment protocols. “Additionally, we are looking at our hiring practices to determine if there are any gaps or shortcomings with our processes,” Patterson said.
As part of the ongoing department-wide review, leadership has initiated an evaluation of officer conduct in the field.
“We have begun and will continue auditing BWC footage. We’re going to look at the interactions our officers are having with members of the public to make sure they are outstanding,” Patterson said.
Although the investigation centers on racist text messages, Patterson confirmed that a multiracial group of officers was involved.
Seth Stoughton, a law professor and law enforcement expert who testified for the prosecution in the Derek Chauvin trial, commended CMPD for launching the investigation.
“Good on the agency for taking appropriate action; it can be very easy for an agency to turn a blind eye to this stuff,” Stoughton said.
Stoughton emphasized the importance of monitoring small officer groups within law enforcement agencies.
“If it’s true that a bad apple spoils the bunch, the agency needs to be paying attention to those small groups,” Stoughton said.
Stoughton also noted that department diversity alone does not prevent racial bias, as some officers identify primarily with their profession rather than their racial background.
“I think it’s important to look like the communities that they police, but it’s not a panacea. That by itself doesn’t prevent racism,” Stoughton said.
Speaking on officers prioritizing professional identity over race, Stoughton added, “I think it feels counterintuitive, but I don’t think historically it’s uncommon.”
Channel 9 learned that internal sources linked the text scandal to probes involving officers Seth Elliot and Ana Mora Terrero.
Patterson stated that CMPD will continue auditing body-worn camera footage and reviewing its hiring practices to identify any internal gaps.