Body Cam Footage Released Of North Carolina Police Punching Black Woman

CHARLOTTE, NC – In an incident captured on body cam footage, police in North Carolina tackled, punched, and kneed a Black woman, Christina Pierre, during an arrest, sparking outrage and condemnation from community leaders. According to Daily Mail, the incident occurred on Nov. 13, when Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officers confronted Pierre and Anthony Nathaniel Lee, who were sitting on a park bench smoking marijuana.

Both bystander and body cam footage revealed the alleged violent arrest, with officers grabbing and restraining Pierre while using alleged excessive force. The incident drew swift criticism, prompting an internal affairs investigation that resulted in the suspension of Officer Vincent Pistone, who repeatedly punched Pierre. Despite the investigation clearing six of the seven officers involved, all charges against Pierre and Lee were dropped.

Police said Pierre began ‘laying on her hands and not allowing officers to arrest her,’ so one cop began striking her thigh and shouted at her repeatedly to ‘stop resisting.’

CMPD said in a statement, ‘These are tense situations that have the potential to escalate quickly.’

‘Police use of force is never easy to watch. Officers are trained to strike large muscle groups in order to gain compliance during an arrest.’ 

Community leaders expressed their concerns, with Deputy District Attorney Alexander Bott acknowledging the severity of the crime and the unnecessary use of force. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department defended the officers’ actions, stating that force is applied to gain compliance during an arrest. However, the incident ignited public outrage, with local residents and activists condemning the excessive use of force.

‘It doesn’t really matter, unless someone takes a gun out and points at you, you shouldn’t be beating on anyone,’ local man Abdul Evans told WSOC-TV after viewing the bystander video. 

‘It took 17 blows to get her to complain. That’s insane to me,’ activist Kass Ottley told the broadcaster. ‘The use of force does not fit the situation, and they are supposed to de-escalate the situation,’ she added.

‘Like many other Charlotteans, we were shocked and saddened by the video of an incident between Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police and a Bojangles employee,’ the fast food chain said. 

The video captured Pierre being arrested and subsequently seated in a police car, with her charges of assault on a government official, resisting officers, and marijuana possession later dropped. The fast-food chain Bojangles, where Pierre and Lee were employed, confirmed that the individuals had recently finished their shifts, expressing shock and sadness over the incident. Bojangles pledged full cooperation with any investigation and confirmed that both employees remain employed by the company.