Six Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officers have been suspended without pay and face possible termination after investigators uncovered an allegedly racist group chat.
According to local reports, the messages included racial slurs and a competition over which officer could stop the most Black drivers. One officer reportedly wrote, “our texts sound like a clan rally.”
The chat was discovered during an unrelated investigation involving CMPD officer Seth Elliott, who was charged in July with illegally accessing a government computer for non-law-enforcement purposes. Court records allege Elliott used Flock license-plate-reader technology to assist someone connected to a drug investigation, leading investigators to review text messages and phone data.
A seventh officer linked to the group resigned in August. The six remaining officers were recommended for termination after an internal affairs investigation and will appear before the city’s Civil Service Board. None currently faces criminal charges, and their names have not been released.
CMPD said it remains committed to “the highest standards of integrity, professionalism, and service,” adding that it “will not tolerate any behavior that contradicts our core values or jeopardizes the trust” of the community.
The Civil Service Board will review the evidence before any termination decisions are made.