Matthew Michael Arrest Fair or Foul?

From the Local Fishwrapper:

A Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer was arrested on child abuse charges while off duty, Chief Johnny Jennings said in a statement Wednesday evening. Officer Matthew Michael, 48, was charged with two counts of misdemeanor child abuse and placed on unpaid leave, the chief said.

Jail records said Michael was booked on Wednesday by the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office and released on bond. Jennings said the sheriff’s office would handle a criminal investigation into the allegations. CMPD is “limited in the information we can release at this time,” Jennings said. “However, I want to assure the community that we are committed to holding our officers accountable for their actions, both on and off duty,” he said.

Cedar's Take:

As many of you know CP has a couple of family members still within CMPD. There are also cousins and nephews that fill all rates and current capacities in a long blue and red line, even a deputy chief in Charleston. Then there are the retired but still outspoken ones. So it really pains me to see this sort of thing show up in the press.

CP doesn't know Officer Michael but the problem with this sort of news is that the public assumes the worst of all possible situations.

I suspect this is a child custody issue and a deranged former spouse is behind this arrest. This is also the problem with social media. Wild guesses abound.

But CP has been there, what a freaking waste of money and court resources. 

At issue was my creative child disciple method that involved a mystery "man with a belt". This unseen and not real "enforcer" was used in restaurants and on airliners to compel compliance to acceptable behavior.  And it worked rather well. A tantrum throwing 3 year old at a restaurant was told to knock it off because the man with the belt just walked in. Three knocks on the wall and a "who's that?" would calm my rampaging toddler instantly into a 3 year old church altar boy. 

I never had to lay a hand on my kid.

But a liberal Mecklenburg county judge saw that as "child abuse" ordered supervised visits and that I attend anger management and parenting classes. 

Day one of the first "group session" the psychologist took me aside and asked "why the hell are you here?" I tried to give a compliant answer and he laughed. Then told me there was no reason for my attendance.  

A week later he sent me this. 

He would appear on my behalf several weeks later telling the judge that she should leave parenting and sociologist diagnosis to the processionals. 15 years later and $20,000 plus in legal fees as well as an arrest for $252.45 in unpaid child support the long running battle ended. But the damage was done. 

And I still receive every month a child support payment demand notice from Mecklenburg County to pay my child support. 

So to Officer Michael yeah I've been there brother.