Street Take Overs - CMPD Makes Arrests - Meck Judges and DA Dismiss Charges

The headline grabbing stories from last weekend:

"Two people were arrested and 20 citations were issued" show up all around Charlotte's conventional news sources.

Last weekend local news spoke of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg police department disrupting “street takeovers,” 

CMPD said it worked with the N.C. State Highway Patrol to respond to six locations throughout the night, including one where a person was hit by a vehicle. The person was transported to the hospital with serious injuries. In May, CMPD seized a vehicle and issued seven citations during street takeovers in uptown and NoDa.

From the local paper:

Police seized five cars and two guns last weekend. One of the cars in south Charlotte had erupted into flames and was left abandoned at Arrowood Road and Interstate 77, police said. CMPD’s public affairs unit did not respond to questions Wednesday about where the six locations were and what the two arrested people were charged with. Street takeovers are when drivers close off streets for racing and doing tricks like burnouts in an intersection while onlookers gather to watch and film.

Last year, CMPD held a news conference about street takeovers, and said police towed or seized 12 vehicles in February 2023 alone. During that press conference, the department said policing street takeovers can be difficult because officers cannot quickly identify drivers, and often, the drivers aren’t the owners of the vehicles and lack proper registration. Plates are often removed or switched with another vehicle. 

Drivers rarely stop for police, and CMPD’s pursuit policy does not allow officers to chase unless someone committed a crime dangerous to life, police said. Reckless and aggressive driving doesn’t meet the threshold. But a law went into effect in December to introduce new penalties for these events.

But once the headlines fad, little is done to these thugs and idiots and the street racing continues.

Here's the story of just of one of these clowns arrested back in July from a local news station:

CMPD says a repeat street takeover suspect has been arrested. Police say 21-year-old Dekhole Figueiredo-Clark was arrested following a vehicle pursuit.

On July 13th, officers who were proactively monitoring for street racing and street takeover events responded to a Dodge Charger doing donuts in a parking lot off Freedom Drive.

During the donuts, the vehicle hit a pedestrian and fled the scene without checking on the pedestrian’s condition.

The Charger proceeded to drive recklessly onto I-485 and West Boulevard, speeding over 100 mph, weaving through traffic and running red lights, according to CMPD.

Officers attempted a traffic stop on the vehicle on Clanton Road but the driver did not stop, resulting in a vehicle pursuit with assistance from NC State Highway Patrol and the CMPD’s Aviation Unit.

The pursuit ended when the vehicle was disabled by stop sticks, according to a news release.

Figueiredo-Clark was arrested and charged with the following:

Felony fleeing to elude (2 Counts)

Reckless Driving

No Operator’s License

Displaying a fictitious tag

Street takeover

Possession of marijuana

Figueiredo-Clark’s Dodge Charger was towed for evidence and officers seized 25 grams of suspected marijuana, according to a news release.

On Thursday August 1, 2024 Figueiredo-Clark appeared in Mecklenburg County Courtroom of Judge Fritz Mercer, Jr.  The assistant DA Maria Fernanda Caino represented the Meck County DAs office.

Within 30 minutes all charges were dismissed and Figueiredo-Clark's car was released back to him.

Liberal Mecklenburg County Judges are not just soft on crime they just don't give a truck.

The suspect hit a spectator then hit a light pole drove at speeds of 100 miles a hour doesn't have a driver's license, the CMPD Helo had to be called in to follow him and the costs to tax payers is insane and less than two weeks later the charges are dismissed.

In fact since 2020 Figueiredo-Clark has been arrested or ticketed in 15 cases all but 3 have been dismissed. 

The 2020 charges appear to all have been dismissed due to COVID.

A January 2024 arrest resulted in a guilty plea tp speeding and the charges for No Operators License and Reckless Driving were dismissed. 

But Figueiredo-Clark's troubles might not be over just yet because on August 19 the DA's office refiled the dismissed July 13th charges via a grand jury bill of indictment which was returned in the state's favor. The defendant will have to appear once again in court on September 30th.

Charges from a December 9, 2023 street take-over has been continued until later this month.

Then the NC SHP stepped up and filed charges based on evidence determined during the investigation of the July 13th incident. State Troopers issued charges stemming from a chase that occurred during the same night. Those charges are:

Flee/Elude Arrest with a Motor Vehicle (Felony)

Fail to Heed Light or Siren

Speeding (150 in a 55)

Aggressive Driving

 Figueiredo-Clark's first appearance on those charges is October 21, 2024.

CP will let you know if and when those charges are dismissed.

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