Jessica (April 2014)

Cedar Posts is going to take a divergent path the next couple of weeks, under the title Jessica.

This is not going to be a pleasant journey. 

I have actually struggled with telling what I know and putting it all into perspective. The words don't come easy. 

Let me start with the end. Jessica is dead, she was only 18 when she took her own life.

I'm going to tell not of her death, the details or the reasons, as you the reader I will leave that in your hands, but rather her life and the time during which got to know her.

The words may change, I may put some down only to decide later that I've told too much, or that the picture the words paint is too troubling or worse too critical. 

I'm older than her father, but that doesn't cross my mind as I watch her bound out of the passenger side of red honda that has parked too close to my Lexus SUV. 

I watch with the leering eyes of a dirty old man watching teenage girls along a South Carolina wind sweep beach during the heat of midday in August, the constant sound of the ocean and salt filling the air. 

For an instant she glances my way as she stumbles and catches herself on the right front fender of my truck. I smile, she laughs an acknowledgement that there was no harm, no foul. 

The driver of the Honda emerges I instinctively suspect boyfriend until the angry look slams my lustful daydream back to reality. Short cropped hair, auto repairman work shirt and full of hate. Jessica's boyfriend is a dike. Mean angry man hating and as I quickly notice, very controlling full blown bitch dike.

The dike, who in the months to follow I will learn is called Cat is really Katherine Elizabeth but Cat fits her.

Cat's look is pure hate, she says something to Jessica and the young girl's playfulness dissolves to stoic as Cat arms up with her pulling her away like an arresting police officer.

If close my eyes and I can still see her smile, her hand on the side of my car and her unbridled joy of her youth. Over the last few months I've visited denial, anger, pure overwhelming grief and now thankfully acceptance over the loss of someone I only met in person a dozen times but had countless exchanges with over Facebook and Twitter.  

I'm in my car waiting on Mrs Cedar at a place called In-XS a hair salon, I have the Yorkie, who sits on my knee looking out the window for all to see.  It is the Yorkie that lures Jessica to the drivers side window a few minutes later. Cat is nowhere to be seen and Jessica is a bubbling 18 year old again, 

Can I say hello? I offer that the Yorkie is very friendly. Much making over my wife's four pounds of happy fur continues until Cat rains on Jessica's fun. She grabs Jessica's hand with such force I'm temporarily thinking of saying something, but I look away.

A minute later the Honda winds up and charges down Providence Road, never to be seen again or so I thought. 

About a week later at the Harris Teeter I hear an unfamiliar voice: "Hey you're the guy with the little dog aren't you?" I'm caught off guard then it clicks Jessica from In-XS. She's with her parents and expands on "the yorkie" and how she'd love to have one. Her parents seem kind and caring as they endure my sales pitch for rescued dogs and YorkieRescue.com and Cat is nowhere is sight and Jessica seems to be all the better for that.

It would be a month maybe longer before I'd bump into Jessica again this time she's with Cat who has a grip on her arm Walmart Security taking a suspected shoplifter in for questioning. 

I'm hard to miss, but not a smile, a hello or even acknowledgment from Jessica. Cat clearly is in control, the tension is thick yet the other High School kids seem at ease. Laughing and doing what High School kids do at Chipotle after school.

I'm inside with Mrs. Cedar when I see a young man and not Jessica approach my car and leave a brown napkin under the windshield wiper.

A half hour later the napkin reads "can you email me the website for the Yorkie rescue place. Pleeeeeze! Jessica" with her gmail addy.

I'm not in the habit of emailing teenage girls. It takes me a week to respond. When I do it is from my company email with no so much as hi, just the web address: YorkieRescue.Com

A month later I get an email that says "Thank You soooo much I found a Yorkie to rescue and I'm going to pick her up in Raleigh on Saturday.

Included is a facebook link with a dozen pictures of furry cuteness. And sure enough within a week there are dozens of photos of a little Yorkie named Boo.

Boo lived about five months before she found him dead in her parents back yard. During this time I have no contact with Jessica, a random facebook post would show up in my newsfeed. All seemed well, but the photo of her and Cat seemed off.

Somehow I sensed not all was well, not that they didn't look like an openly gay couple, just that they didn't seem to click. Her facebook posts stopped after her RIP Boo photo.

A month later she posted a comment on a photo of my two labs. I commented back and a day later a massive long email showed up.

"I need some advice and I don't trust my friends or family"...... the rest of the email I'll just truncate to these facts, Cat had killed her dog, her relationship with Cat began as a dare, and she felt compelled to have their relationship out of peer pressure, in order to fit in with her friends. She had a "real boyfriend" but everyone hated him. But Cat was abusive and controlling, Jessica says she had once broke off the relationship only to be beaten so badly by Cat that she missed nearly two weeks of school. She didn't want the cops or her parents involved but wanted to end the relationship with Cat somehow. But she feared rejection from her friends and didn't want to be alone.

The last part was a cry for help that I didn't recognize "I've thought about killing myself to be with Boo" but can't afford to buy enough drugs lol"

More....

(Cedar Update: The more never came. I ran out of words. Now ten years later I'm still haunted by what I saw, what I know, what I should have done. When I was in high school there were no gays, no dikes, no trans, no non binary or any other bull shit. Just normal boys, who liked girls, and girls who like boys. The greatest peer pressure in high school was to "do it" and then tell about it. What have we done to our children?)

I took the random posts and put them here in one place year it happened. I have photos of Jessica and Boo and of Cat. I will not post. But I can't delete them. I didn't know Jessica and might have spoken to her parents once in the grocery store. I've never seen an obituary, didn't attend a funeral or memorial service.  

I should have done something. We all need to do something. 

Bad Boyz Bad Boyz

CMPD PIO team took an unexpected turn this week posting the video montage below.

“You can run but you can’t hide.” That’s what Charlotte Mecklenburg Police (CMPD) posted Wednesday to announce they seized a 2018 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 after hitting a police car and taunting police.

CMPD says its Operation SCARLET (Stolen Car and Recovery Law Enforcement Team) started looking into a possibly stolen or cloned Chevrolet Corvette Z06 that had fled from traffic stops multiple times in the area.

After posting the video clips and weapons CMPD did a little clean-up on aisle 3. 

We’ve had some inquiries stemming from a viral video from last week,

let us clear them up.

The corvette *ISN’T* stolen and it *IS* seized.

The suspect, 21-year-old Carlos Clark, didn’t actually get away.

On March 18, 2024, CMPD’s Operation SCARLET (Stolen Car and Recovery… pic.twitter.com/eWcwCRdjlc

— CMPD News (@CMPD) April 3, 2024

CMPD detectives found the owner’s identity and a social media account with video of the vehicle speeding away from officers. It was determined that the car was not stolen.

Clark was arrested on March 29 and bonded out the same day. His next court date is April 17th and then again on April 19.

Early Friday this video appears to show CMPD Officers attempting to detain Clark while driving his Corvette notice the 360 camera on a selfie stick attached to rear deck of the car.

Three Finger Jack aka Kyre Mitchell Lawsuit Moves Forward

The guy nicknamed "Three Finger Jack" after he lost two fingers during the ongoing George Floyd protests in Charlotte can proceed with his federal First Amendment lawsuit against the city and CMPD Officers. A federal judge issued an order Friday allowing that portion of the lawsuit to move forward.

Much to Cedar's surprise the city has actually stood up for common sense on this one. In the question of First Amendment Rights Judge Conrad correctly ruled the case should be heard. The result will be yes police have a right to restrict violent protestors and that their right to protest does not preempt public safety. 

Mitchell Posing For The Local Paper

US District Judge Robert Conrad’s order adopted March 1 recommendations from a magistrate judge. No party in the case had objected to those recommendations.

Plaintiff Kyre Mitchell says he lost two fingers after handling a flashbang grenade police threw toward him during the protest.

US Magistrate Judge Susan Rodriguez’s order denied defendants’ motion to dismiss Mitchell’s First Amendment claims. Rodriguez granted defendants’ motion to dismiss Mitchell’s other complaints dealing with the Fourth Amendment and state constitutional issues.

The order also addressed Mitchell’s request for an injunction blocking Charlotte from using “flash bombs” in public spaces in the future. “[T]he law is clear that Plaintiff does not have standing for injunctive relief based on his past injury,” Rodriguez wrote. The judge did not “completely foreclose injunctive relief on other grounds.”

The magistrate judge distinguished Mitchell’s First Amendment complaints from the rest of the lawsuit.

“Here, Plaintiff plausibly pleads that he was engaged in protected First Amendment activity when he participated in protests on public sidewalks and streets to protest police violence,” Rodriguez wrote. “The Individual Defendants argue that they are entitled to qualified immunity on Plaintiff’s § 1983 claim for First Amendment violations because Plaintiff’s Complaint alleges instances of violence and a ‘tense and evolving situation on May 30, 2020’ meeting the definition of a riot under North Carolina law such that any of the Individual Defendants were objectively reasonable in using crowd control techniques on the crowd as a unit.”

“While Individual Defendants’ argument may have merit, it is premature at this … stage,” Rodriguez added. “Defendants point to certain facts in the Complaint which allege there were instances of anger, aggression, and damage to property by demonstrators. However, the Complaint also alleges that those instances were rare, were done by individuals who could have been singled out for removal from the protest, and that ‘no incident occurred justifying CMPD to character the protests as an unlawful assembly or to use widespread, indiscriminate force against the crowd of demonstrators.’”

“Moreover, the Complaint alleges that at the time the device was allegedly thrown near Plaintiff’s feet, it was thrown in an area that contained peaceful protestors and bystanders, and ‘never having engaged in any activity that could be considered violent,’” Rodriguez wrote.  

Charlotte officials filed paperwork in April 2023 seeking to dismiss Mitchell’s case. He filed suit in January 2023 against the city, its police chief and former deputy chief, 17 current and former named Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department officers and supervisors, and 50 other unnamed officers from other law enforcement agencies.

Mitchell claimed their actions during a May 30, 2020, protest caused the injuries that led to amputation of the middle and ring fingers on his right hand, as well as burns affecting the rest of his hand.

The protest took place in connection with the killing of George Floyd. Police “deployed teargas, pepper bullets, and flashbang grenades” while dealing with protesters, according to a city memorandum.

“Plaintiff alleges that around 11:30 p.m, while he was standing near other protestors at the
intersection of Fifth Street and North Tryon Street, he picked up an object that then exploded in his hand,” according to the city memo.

Mitchell’s suit claims that he saw a police officer standing 50 away, who threw a device that “landed directly at his feet.” To protect people nearby, he picked up the device and planned to throw it away. The device instead exploded in his hand.

“Plaintiff offers multiple theories as to who allegedly threw the object that injured his hand,” the city argued in its memo. “In one theory, Plaintiff makes identical allegations against each of the thirteen CMPD Officer Defendants and alleges that ‘one or more of these officers
personally deployed the chemical munitions and the flash-bang grenade that caused the Plaintiff’s injuries.’ In another theory, Plaintiff alleges that his injuries may have been caused by someone else — either a different CMPD police officer or ‘law enforcement officers employed by neighboring Cities and Counties who provided aid to the CMPD.’”

“Plaintiff fails to even state the factual basis for his conclusory allegation that the person
who threw the device was ‘a police officer,’” the city’s memo continued. “Plaintiff specifically alleges that at least some ‘police officers … were dressed in plainclothes on May 30, 2022.’ Nowhere does Plaintiff describe the person who threw the device that ultimately injured his hand. To the extent Plaintiff is alleging that the person who threw the incendiary device could have been ‘dressed in plainclothes,’ that further contradicts his speculation as to the identity of the person.”

The city challenged Mitchell’s attempt to have a federal judge ban Charlotte-Mecklenburg police from using flashbang grenades in the future.

“No one doubts the severity of Plaintiff’s hand injury,” Charlotte’s memo concludes. “But Plaintiff offers nothing more than speculation that his injuries were caused by one of the 17 named defendants in this case, each of whom Plaintiff seeks to hold personally liable. Neither is there any plausible allegation that a policy or custom of the City is to blame.”

Chief and Sherriff Won't Speak The Truth

Yesterday WCNC aired a "Flash Point" news program with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings and Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden advocating for more resources to address the recent spike of youth crime.

"It's just a failure in the system, that we're not taking care of our young people," CMPD Chief Johnny Jennings said. 

Jennings and McFadden appeared on a special edition of WCNC's Flashpoint focused on seeking solutions to youth crime.

"We deal with it each and every day. It is putting a strain on our office," McFadden said.

In 2023, CMPD reported a 34% increase in the number of juveniles who were arrested, along with a 33% increase in underage suspects named in shooting cases.  

"We have to start with parenting. I think we really have to look at our parents," Lisa Crawford, director of Mothers of Murdered Offspring, said.

Also appearing on WCNC's Flashpoint, the family of 17-year-old Nahzir Taylor, who was shot to death after getting off of his school bus in 2022. 

Police charged other teenagers in the case.  

"It's not just the parents, it's everybody. Do you guys remember the war on drugs? I think there needs to be a war on teen violence," Shetara Taylor, Nahzir's mother, said.

Nahzir's brothers say social media is fueling youth violence. 

"Nowadays, people they just want to be like other people.  And they want to put on a facade and be people that they aren't. So, when they see others doing what they want, they get jealous about it," Na'son, Nahzir's brother, said.  

You can catch the full discussion on WCNC's Flashpoint: Seeking solutions to youth crime.

Cedar's Take: What these law enforcement managers won't speak to is the clear fact that this violence in sadly a cultural thing. 

14 teenagers have be murdered in Charlotte, in the last six months.

The most recent Fate Brannon was just 17.

Everyone one of them is African American. Everyone of those charged are of color. 

On Saturday, police arrested 28-year-old Marcus Dahn on an outstanding warrant. 

After interviewing him, police charged him with Brannon’s murder, along with robbery with a dangerous weapon and several other charges.

Photo Courtesy MCSO

I will say again what others will not say.

The African American Community has become a culture of violence. 

It is not just the shootings it is violence at Airports, on Planes, at Carowinds, and Popeyes and Walmart and Waffle House. 

There are endless streams of videos of violent looting, and mass riots and violent brawls over such trivial things as cold french fries. 

Fights over nothing where a black girl repeatedly smashing another girl's head on the pavement. 

Young boys parachute jumping on an child's head. Black teens in Brooklyn beating an old man to death because "he's old and needed to die".

When did violence become so acceptable?

When the courts and law enforcement and parents decided that there would be no consequences. It is now learned behavior and we are all paying the price. The only solution is incarceration of violent offenders with the first conviction.

Consequences. 

Until these "managers" of Law Enforcement start speaking the truth they will never be leaders.  

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.