Tricia Cotham Targeted In Road Rage Attack

According to the "Local Paper" State Representative Tricia Cotham said an enraged woman screamed vulgarities at her mother and a son and swerved her car at them in a politically motivated case of road rage this week. 

The woman raised her middle finger at Cotham’s child and kept honking her horn as she swerved at them, the Mecklenburg County Republican said on Facebook Saturday. “She tried to run my family off the road and get them to hit her,” Cotham said, including a picture in her post of the angry driver’s Toyota Avalon and its license plate number. 

In the same Facebook post Saturday afternoon, Cotham included what she called unrelated, harassing comments by someone using a fake Facebook account under the pseudonym Moots Oots.

“Tricia Cotham’s children deserve know how she is a liar,” read the grammatically incorrect Moots Oots post. “She is a puppet that has destroyed democracy for her district.” The reference may have been in reaction to Cotham’s historic April 5 switch from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party, which gave the GOP supermajority voting power in the General Assembly. 

Cotham replied to Moots Oots on Facebook: “Harassing and targeting my family is WRONG. You don’t like me, you come for me. ME! This post is just another example of the evil behavior we endure. 

So, ‘Moots,’ hiding behind a fake account? Bless.” Cotham’s mother is Pat Cotham, a Democratic Mecklenburg County at-large commissioner. The Cothams didn’t immediately return messages from "the local paper" on Saturday.

Tricia Cotham didn’t say on Facebook if she filed a police incident report in either case. She also didn’t name the road where her mom and child encountered the angry woman or how her mom managed to avoid running off the road. 

She also did not identify the son. On “X,” formerly Twitter, on Saturday, ex-NC GOP Chairman Dallas Woodhouse said Pat Cotham’s car “had the Cotham name on it and (the) driver apparently thought is was @triciacotham.” 

“This is so incredibly dangerous and disgusting,” said Woodhouse, now N.C. executive director of the conservative group American Majority.

Cedar's Take: This is a good time to remind the local demonicarts that North Carolina is a "Castle Doctrine" State:

If an intruder invades a person's space, the property owner can legally use deadly force against him or her, with no legal obligation to back down. This right extends not only to a person's home but also his or her vehicle and workplace under North Carolina law.

The same also applies to self defense in South Carolina. 

You might get away with a hard brake check but if you try to ram my car I will protect myself, my family and my children. I'd also advise not trying to open someone's car door or reach inside an open car window. 

Cotham switched political affiliations earlier this year. The life long democrat who on occasion voted against the party line had finally had enough of the endless vitriol hate and endless personal attacks. The majority in her district are moderates who voted for Republican Pat McCrory and then voted against him, they also voted for Trump in 2016 but voted for Biden in 2020. 

Remains up for debate if Cotham will try to retain her state senate seat or perhaps a run at something bigger.

As for Pat Cotham she's been a strong democrat who has also occasionally rocked the boat with a common sense approach to local politics. She has always been approachable and relentlessly engaged. You can often find her sitting alone at a fellow citizen's funeral usually unnoticed, often paying her respects to someone who she only knew as a fellow Charlottean. 

Jamie Marsicano Charlotte's Own Perpetual Protestor Again

Jamie Marsicano Charlotte's own perpetual protestor is at it again. According to WBTV and other news sources: The Antifa, BLM, Defund the police, abolish all jails activist is now suing the City of Charlotte and CMPD.The filing is here.

Marsicano was charged with assault on a government official in 2020 during the George Floyd protests in Charlotte, but those charges were dropped in September 2021.

Marsicano’s attorneys claim CMPD Maj. Brad Koch mishandled expungement records when he discussed the dropped charges with a Georgia prosecutor to help them in another case. 

Jamie Marsicano above, according to the lawsuit was described by CMPD as a "known anarchist who has funded local anarchist programs" and "has a reputation for having violent confrontations with police".

They argue since the charges were expunged, they should have been treated like they never happened. They also argue that Maj. Koch’s actions influenced the judge to order requiring Marsicano to pay a $25,000 bond and wear the ankle monitor.

MARSICANO, JAMES Photo Courtesy MCSO

In a statement Tuesday, CMPD said automatically expunging dismissed charges wasn’t law until December 2021, and cannot be applied retroactively. It also appears that Marsicano’s charges haven’t been expunged.

According to news sources Marciano's troubles in Atlanta are far from over, his protests in Georgia apparently led to federal charges. However some sources point out that only circumstantial evidence of "muddy clothing" is all the case against him contains. 

During those same protests an environmental activist Manuel Esteban Paez “Tortuguita” Terán was killed when officers moved against a number of encamped protesters at a planned law enforcement training facility in Atlanta known as Cop City. Teran sustained “at least” 57 gunshot wounds, according to a county medical examiner report. Including several to the groin and penis.

It was at this same location that Marsicano was alleged to have participated in protests and was arrested.

Charlotte attorney Tim Emery is reperesting Marsicano against the city, Koch and CMPD.

CMPD released the following statement late yesterday.

A little background on Marsicano according to Influence Watch

In 2016, James Marsicano was first arrested and charged with disorderly conduct while protesting the Mecklenburg County District Attorney’s office for not filing charges against a police officer who shot and killed Keith Lamont Scott.

In 2017, Marsicano was arrested while protesting at Charlotte Douglas Airport against President Donald Trump’s (R) executive order limiting immigration from many Muslim-majority countries. The protest was organized by Charlotte Action and Black Lives Matter groups.

In 2020, Marsicano was arrested and charged with assaulting a government official during the George Floyd protests in Charlotte.

In 2021, numerous left-wing groups began protesting the construction of the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, a police training facility nicknamed “Cop City.” Opposition groups included Stop Cop City, which claimed that the facility would further militarize the police and encourage violence against racial minorities. Other protest groups, including Defend the Atlanta Forest, protested the facility’s construction on 300 acres of forest.

The protest tactics and city response escalated throughout 2021 and 2022. Protesters staged demonstrations and occupied sections of the forest. The police alleged that protestors engaged in acts of sabotage and vandalism against construction contractors. In December 2022, a joint local, state, and federal task force raided an encampment of protestors obstructing construction, and after being pelted by rocks and bottles from treehouses, officers arrested five protesters who would be charged with domestic terrorism.

The Movement for Black Lives coordinated legal support for arrested protesters.

In January 2023, Georgia State Troopers shot and killed protester Manuel Esteban Paez Teran during another raid, further enflaming opposition. As of March 2023, the Georgia Bureau of Investigations is investigating the shooting.

On March 5, attendees of the South River Music Festival approached a major construction site and allegedly began lobbing rocks, bricks, commercial-grade fireworks, and Molotov cocktails at construction vehicles, destroying many. Out of about 150 protesters, 35 were arrested and 23 were charged with domestic terrorism, including Marsicano. 

On March 7, Marsicano was one of the 22 accused to be denied bail. The one suspect granted bail was Tom Jurgens, a Southern Poverty Law Center employee allegedly attending the event as a legal observer for the National Lawyers Guild, of which Marsicano is a member. 

According to Influence Watch Marsicano’s father, Michael Marsicano, worked for 23 years as CEO of the Foundation for the Carolinas, a provider of donor-advised funds that gives to many left-of-center groups. 

Michael Marsicano has sat “on the boards of Duke University, Duke University Health System, Charlotte Chamber of Commerce and Charlotte Center City Partners. 

He has chaired the boards of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, Queens University of Charlotte and the National Assembly of Local Arts Agencies (now Americans for the Arts).” 

Along with his wife Leslie, Michael Marsicano leads Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles’s $250 million Racial Equity Initiative. 

Lincolnton Hate Crime or Wait Never Mind

You likely saw this headline last week:

6 people hit by driver at Lincolnton Walmart, police say

LINCOLNTON, N.C. — Six people were taken to the hospital after being hit by a car in Lincolnton on Sunday afternoon, according to the Lincolnton Police Department.

Police say around 1:17 p.m., an assault with a vehicle happened at Walmart on North Generals Boulevard in Lincolnton.

Law enforcement says six migrant workers were hit in what they believe was an intentional vehicle assault. All of the workers were taken to the hospital with different injuries, but none appeared to be life-threatening.

Officers say the car is an older model, a mid-size black SUV with a luggage rack, and the driver was described as an older white male.

Well that was last week and the headlines were as you might expect troubling.

In fact across the nation a manhunt was launched to find the MAGA Extremist WHITE Supremist TRUMPER and Illegal migrant hating psychopath.

There was only one small problem the driver's name was Daniel Gonzalez (hint he's not a white guy) and it was an accident.

The liberal press and politicians of course had a nutty that a white guy deliberately drove his SUV into a group of migrant farm workers, injuring six of them outside a Lincolnton Walmart over the weekend. The story was covered by everyone from the New York Times to People magazine. 

What you haven't seen is a lot of coverage since because:

That initial narrative changed in just a few short hours last Monday. 

On Sunday, the day of the incident, Lincolnton police said in a statement the SUV turning into the group of men on a tree-lined median “appears to be an intentional assault with a vehicle.” 

And on Monday the Carolina Migrant Network put out a statement saying, “We are outraged by the hate crime that occurred in Lincolnton... The event comes as no surprise as we have repeatedly seen these incidents at national and state level.” 

But shortly before 6 p.m. Monday, 68-year-old Hickory resident Daniel Gonzalez turned himself in to the Lincolnton Police Department, where he was charged with felony hit-and-run.

Family members told officers that Gonzalez informed them earlier Monday he accidentally stepped on the gas when parking at Walmart Sunday afternoon. When he realized he’d hit people, “he panicked and left the scene,” according to a police news release.

Now, after interviewing Gonzalez and his family members, police believe the incident was accidental. Since turning himself in Gonzalez has posted his $50,000 bond and is no longer in jail. 

You'd think liberals would learn:

Back in May a driver plowed through a group of migrants — killing eight — as they waited for a bus in Brownsville, Texas. The driver in that case, George Alvarez, 34, has been charged with eight counts of manslaughter and 10 counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. 

That too was thought to be a hate crime but Alvarez later explained he was just distracted.

And while unfortunate it too was an accident and not a hate crime..

Thugs and Hoodlums Take Over Romare Bearden Park - Panic and Terror Uptown

According to several sources 47 people, including nearly two dozen who are under the age of 18, were arrested after a riot broke out during a fireworks show in Uptown on July 4.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, said while the fireworks show was happening at Truist Field, a large group began to disrupt the otherwise peaceful event.

Police said 47 people were arrested or cited. 17 were juveniles, the youngest of whom was 13 and oldest was 17. The other 15 people were adults.

CMPD officers seized four firearms in the process.

The charges against the suspects included the following:

Affray

Carrying a concealed weapon

Resisting a public officer

Assault on a government official

Disorderly conduct

Possession of a firearm on city property

Possession of a pyrotechnic

Failure to disperse.

Police said they additionally cited the parents or guardians of 15 of the juveniles. They were charged by citation for contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Police said though no one attending the Fourth of July event was hurt, two CMPD officers had minor injuries as a result.

CMPD Chief Johnny Jennings said the disruption appeared to have been planned.

“That’s not who Charlotte is and that’s not who we represent,” Jennings said.

“I’m proud of the response that we had within the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department,” Jennings added.

When asked what he thinks about people who are scared to come into the city for large events, Jennings said his department is working to change that.

“We have a beautiful Uptown area. We have amazing events, and we have thousands of people every single year that come and enjoy festivities that we put on within within our city,” he said. “So I will say that perception is reality, because if they don’t feel safe, then that means they’re not going to take advantage of some of the great events that we do have. We want to try to reverse that in for the majority.”

Jennings also shared a statement on Twitter about the incident.

“In regards to the July 4th disruptions in Uptown last night, CMPD was prepared and properly staffed with numerous assets and personnel dedicated to this event. These men and women performed admirably under sometimes tense and challenging circumstances focusing on safety, de-escalation, and enforcement of the law.”

Cedar's Take:

In the past three or four times a year my family will book a suite at Truist Field for a Knights Baseball game. The price as a group isn't bad and the staff is awesome.

The Knights rep contacted us several weeks ago about using one of the 1st base suites for the July Fourth event. Thankfully we decided that Uptown had just turned into a shitshow after dark and so why risk it. Sunday afternoon games we'll still go. Same with Panther's Club section seats. But games at night no thanks.

We shitcanned Hornets games and gave up some awesome table seats years ago for the same reason.

I've been to Truist Field for a Braves Game and can tell you there is a solid 3 mile perimeter around the place. Not a thug or hood rat in sight. Wall to Wall Law Enforcement and they transport anyone who is not moving to or from the gates. 

Stop Complaining About CMPD

Nothing grinds my gears more than the endless whining about CMPD Officers.

I get it you called and it took CMPD 40 mins to respond to your traffic accident in the Walmart parking lot. 

Or the bike nerds who are always complaining about a CMPD Ford Explorer parked in the bike lane Uptown. As if there is some mythical Kraken that prevents cyclists from going around?

The endless crying about speed enforcement and the claim about quotas and the department needing more revenue.

Not to mention the really bizarre stuff that shows up on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram every night.

So, yesterday @Summer_McAlpine aka "Motivum" on Twitter had a nutty over a couple of CMPD Officers:

"Tonight, around 8:30 pm 2 CMPD officers who were sitting at a construction site on W Rocky River Rd. went from 0-60 mph in the matter of seconds with no lights or sirens. In an area where there are pedestrian cross-walks and children at play, that should be absolutely mandatory!"

Summer continues:

"The story gets better. My boyfriend and I were taking a walk and put our hands up in confusion like so (🤷🏻‍♀️) because it literally looked as if the 2 cops were racing. There was a (another) couple walking not too far behind us that responded the same after first cop flew by...

The second cop who took off seconds after the first slammed on his brakes and proceeded to roll down the window and yell with attitude that they had a 911 call - which I find interesting because don’t you think if there’s a dire 911 call that you’d… 

1. Turn on your lights and sirens to alert people and cars in the surrounding area that you’re coming through and 

2. Maybe not take the extra time to stop and be an asshole to people walking on the sidewalk. 

Law-enforcement entitlement at its finest."

OK I understand couple of CMPD Officers were having a little down time or maybe even talking over the latest B&E around the corner and for whatever reason they decided to move out in a hurry.

Summer has some certainly valid points - but lights and siren are not mandatory for fast starts and in many cases either optional or avoided for a reason. 

I have too many family members and friends with CMPD to go into the details and reasons for not lighting up the neighborhood. Bacilly I'm not busting a red light so don't mind me.

However, the perception of speed from a driver vs pedestrian point of view offers a huge difference. If you're walking close to the road 35 looks like 70.

I drive crazy slow in my neighborhood when I see people walking because I understand this fact. Plus I've spent much of my life going better than 250 knots in the air and still for some reason 18 knots in an 80 foot motor yacht seems like I'm living on the edge.

That said my grandfather once told me that if I wanted my adult neighbors to respect me more than my fellow teenagers, I'd drive through the neighborhood with the radio down low and the speed lower. Yep it works like that.

But Summer if you are in a habit of throwing up your hands whenever you get confused I’m not sure if any explanation they’d offer will appease you. Don't be tossing up your hands a CMPD Officers that's not respectful and it looks like you're flipping them off. 

Finally the boots on the street are all we have and CMPD Boots are down by crazy numbers how about cutting the uniforms some slack?

Another Young Homicide Victim

CMPD says a 12-year-old boy died after being shot at a north Charlotte home Thursday night

Ahmad Wrighten’s death is being investigated as a homicide, according to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. 

Anthony Rashad Wigfall, 34, and Demetria Robinson, 32, were arrested and charged with murder, CMPD said. Police said the boy had “sustained apparent trauma” when paramedics responded to a home in the 5600 block of Sunwalk Court at about 11:30 p.m. 

They took him from the residential neighborhood off Statesville Road to Atrium Health hospital, where he died, police said. 

Emergency dispatch radio obtained via Broadcastify revealed officers were called to the scene at about 11:30 p.m. after someone “shot an 11-year-old.” CMPD confirmed police were responding to an assault with a deadly weapon call for service and later said the victim was 12.

Charloot's Got A Lot Of Shootings

Once again a person has been shot in uptown during the small hours of the morning.

According to CMPD this was the fifth uptown shooting in past two months.

Witnesses said they heard up to five gunshots, then saw a man get shot in the back at about 4 a.m., according to a local television news station.

The shooting happened on North College Street near Sixth Street, in an area with hotels, restaurants and nightclubs. 

Paramedics said the victim had life-threatening injuries. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department has not publicly identified a victim or suspect in this case. 

Earlier this month, officers found a man shot in a parking lot near the Spectrum Center — a couple blocks over from Thursday’s shooting. 

He died at the hospital more than a week later. Police have charged a suspect with murder, intent to kill inflicting serious injury, and discharging a firearm in the city limits.

Another man was shot in the leg near the VUE apartments on West Fifth Street in uptown at about 7:30 a.m. on June 5.  

Another man was shot and killed in uptown near Truist Field in late May. 

Officers chased the suspect to Charlotte Douglas International Airport, where police said he was arrested and charged with 1st-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. 

In April, two people were injured after a mid-day shooting in uptown’s Romare Bearden Park. Police quickly detained a suspect. 

As of May 31, CMPD had recorded a total of 31 homicides in Charlotte this year.

Sure takes the bang out of going Uptown in Charloot.