Jeff Shelton and Sean Clark EOW March 31, 2007

17 years ago today we lost two CMPD Officers.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Officers Jeff Shelton, 34, and Sean Clark, 35,were ambushed by a violent thug who doesn't deserve to even have his name mentioned. They were responding to a domestic disturbance call for service at Timber Ridge Apartments in east Charlotte. 

The Officers never had time to draw their weapons. 

The thug never spoke a word afterward, including to his attorneys. No motive, they surmised. Just death, for death’s sake. 

The thug was given two life sentences rather than the death penalty he deserved. Those sentences are to be served consecutively. When he dies he will have served the first sentence and then can begin the second sentence. In way that now seems more fitting as he will never be free instead he'll always be in chains.

Officers Shelton and Clark were shot late on the night of March 31, 2007. This was the second time two CMPD Officers were killed in the line of duty at the same time. 

On October 5, 1993, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police officers John Burnette and Andy Nobles were where shot and killed chasing a thug who ran into the woods near the Boulevard Homes housing project. 

Now 30 years have passed from the year of John and Andy's death and 17 years from the events of the night of March 31, 2007 and the murder of Sean and Jeff.

Back in 2007 there were two funerals. Two different days. Both funerals were held at Calvary church in south Charlotte with standing room only for the thousands who attended; each burial held afterward, miles away provided a miles long procession of cars that left the church for the grave sites along the entire length of both routes crowds lined the streets as the procession moved across the county. 

The years roll on, and yet we don't forget. We will never forget.

Godspeed, rest in peace brothers, we have the watch.

Vi lyles Takes a Stand Well at Least Writes a Letter

Charlotte's Mayor famous for clutching her pearls and hosting garden parties as well as the occasional faux expression of fandom, is once again posturing for the masses.

Last week she posted the above undated letter to "Dear Youth of Charlotte".

Never mind that her target demographic, which optimistically has the equivalent of a fifth grade education probably doesn't recognize who she's addressing nor understands what she is trying to convey, considering her use of a half a dozen complex multi syllable words in the first paragraph: 

• acknowledge
• epidemic
• collective
• imperative
• solutions
• community

Our mayor is hopelessly tone deaf. Her past actions supporting the Black Lives Matter street mural and decriminalizing low level crimes led to the death of Uptown Charlotte, something that may take years to recover from, if ever.

Now she turns her vast wisdom, leadership skills and charisma to solving the exploding gun violence in Charlotte that has claimed the lives of more than a dozen Charlotte teenagers in the last six months.

Frankly my grandmother yelling "Y'all Stop That" from the front porch would have been more effective.

I want to say to:

Caleb Thompson, age 18

J’Karri Anderson, age 19

Quaveon Jeremiah Robinson, age 19

Lawahon Dwight Hutchinson, age 19

Johnie McClendon, age 14

Amir Kidd, age 15

Jah’Zir Elijah Jackson, age 18

Lonnie Mcconico Jr, age 18

Tzion Dae, age 16

Avyon Thomas, age 17

Daikwan Jedarren Deese, age 17

Melakah Corbette, age 17

Jorden Anthony Wood, age 17

I'm deeply sorry. We as a community have failed you and your family. Our mayor, city council, courts and educators have failed miserably as well. 

We must do better than complex words, hopeful prose and faux outrage.

CP

 

  

CMPD Arrests Henry Grant Chapman

From the local talking heads:

A Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police officer was arrested after he allegedly stole property from a subject he was arresting on Thursday afternoon.

MCSO Photo

CMPD said the officer, Henry Chapman, was conducting the arrest in the University City Division.

Detectives later arrested Chapman and charged him with one count of embezzlement.

CMPD is conducting an internal investigation and has placed Chapman on unpaid administrative leave.

Chapman has been with the department since September 2009 and is assigned to the University City Division.

“This is deeply disappointing for our organization,” CMPD Chief Johnny Jennings said in a statement. “We hold ourselves to the highest standards, and a violation of that trust is a serious offense. However, I want to assure the public that we take all allegations seriously, and we will not tolerate misconduct within our ranks...no CMPD employee is above the law.”

Chapman was a member of the University City Division and has worked for the department for 14 years.

Cedars Take: Something else is going on here. There has to be more to this, so at this point CP is withholding judgement until the facts shake out. 

Pedo Creep in South Charlotte or Harmless Nutsack?

Living in South Charlotte isn't what it used to be.

Of course NextDoor is a treasure trove of odd. Beyond the what kind of snake is this and has anyone seen my lost cat? There are endless tales of crime or at least strange goings on.

Case in point this post by Madison Schott:

"Does anyone know this man? Incident happened in a neighborhood off providence road, between Arboretum and Waverly shopping center" says Madison in the online post.

Keep in mind Arboretum is about 4 miles from Waverly.

Madison continues: 

"Never once did he try to introduce himself, assure me he meant no harm, or that he lived near by, etc."

Keep in mind that Madison's NextDoor Profile say BridgeHampton which is on the other side of Johnston Road off Ardrey Kell.

Then she added this follow-up.

"He seemed to be enticing my small children out into the street with what was a so called “wand”. I told my kids to get inside, loud enough so that he could hear me and he started walking closer. I finally had to start yelling for him to back up and to leave the property (at this point he was in the yard) and he took off." 

At this point most of the comments have gone off the rails. 

Mac Trausneck - Cureton

"I think he's one of the Commissioners who voted to not put Fluoride in the drinking water."

Sam W. Anklin Forrest Waxhaw, NC

"Careful!   Hopefully he doesn’t see this and sue you for targeted online harassment or public defamation.  Cases settle for hundreds of thousands of dollars!  You can’t just post pics of people without their consent."

Geri Cruickshank Raintree

"He’s just a guy holding what looks like a small kids catapult…..is that a crime these days? A snapshot without  the background story can make anyone look suspicious unless you have more. Information? Trial by internet? Fine line."

But Madison stays focused:

"He made it very clear he was avoiding me while incessantly trying to keep the attention of my children and then proceeded to climb up a very steep hill and onto our property behind my 2 yr old after I made it clear I was taking them inside. Say what you will but I hope you’re never in charge of the safety of any children putting them at risk of people like this. I don’t know if it were substance use, mental illness or what, but this was far from your typical neighborly interaction. He certainly doesn’t live in any of the 5 houses in our single street/ cold e sac. So where he came from, I don’t know"

Finally she says:

"Also, in no way am I saying that he did, but he very well could have had a “van to abduct my children” waiting just around the corner. Who’s to say he didn’t? I surely wasn’t waiting around any longer to find out."