CHARLOTTE, N.C. — "I'm just a regular guy man, just like family, real family oriented. I'm not into a lot of drama," said Melvin Lynch.
Lynch told Channel 9 he believes drama found him this past December when he was pulled over by Charlotte-Mecklenburg police near Tuckaseegee Road and Alice Avenue.
He wasn't ticketed and wasn't arrested, but he said he believes he was racially profiled. He recorded the entire encounter.
"People live in these areas. You can't just say 'Oh this is a bad area. He's a black guy. He's coming out of this neighborhood.' You can't stop me because of that," said Lynch.
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Capt. Jonathan Thomas heads CMPD's Metro Division. His officers conducted the stop.
"We were responding to complaints from the community about illegal activity in the area," he said.
Thomas explained Lynch was in a known drug area and some people came up to his car, and that is why he was pulled over.
"They didn't see anything that would lead to anything further. He wasn't physically searched. The search wasn't pushed. They asked for consent, didn't get it, which is what we're legally able to do, so they didn't push it any further," said Capt. Thomas.
In the video Lynch recorded, he complained about not being told why he was being pulled over. Eventually, the officer answered his question. Both sides appear to have treated each other with respect, but to Lynch that doesn't mean the officers were right.
"If I'm doing right and I get the same results as if I'm doing wrong," he said.
Lynch has retained an attorney and plans to file a lawsuit.
Monday, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Kerr Putney and Dr. Frank Baumgartner will hold a discussion on Facebook about race and traffic stops.
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