A Charlotte defense attorney says she recognized an officer connected to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s racist text-message scandal during a traffic stop involving her 19-year-old client, a case that ended with prosecutors admitting they had charged the wrong person. The stop happened in North Charlotte in December 2025, and the gun charge against the teenager was dismissed months later after officers told prosecutors they had made a mistake.
Attorney Deanna Taylor told WCNC that officers stopped a car carrying her client and his friends over a headlight issue, then searched the vehicle after reporting they smelled marijuana. Police said they found a gun inside, and Taylor’s client — a passenger with no prior criminal history, according to Taylor — was charged with carrying a concealed weapon. He insisted he did not own the gun.
Taylor said she identified the officer after seeing images of officers tied to the text-message controversy, and that a second officer linked to the scandal also assisted in her client’s arrest. She said body-camera footage contradicted the account laid out in the charging documents, and she challenged the lead officer about the discrepancy in court rather than accept a first-time offender arrangement for her client.
Charge Dropped After Officers Admit Error
The concealed-weapon charge was ultimately dismissed after officers told prosecutors they had made a mistake. Court records listed the dismissal reason as wrong person charged per law enforcement officer, the station reported. Taylor said she believes her client and his friends were targeted because they are Black, telling the station: “I think honestly it was just one of those things that, hey, these kids are up to no good… for being young Black kids.”…