Tuesday, May 31, 2011

CMPD's Central Division Commander: Uptown Speed Street Melee Was "Not A Near Riot"



According to the "Local Paper" a Charlotte-Mecklenburg police official said Tuesday that fighting and shootings that left one person dead and led to 70 arrests early Sunday in Charlotte's uptown were not a case of "near-rioting."

Capt. Jeff Estes, commander of CMPD's Central Division, which oversees the uptown area, said the early-morning trouble was a "serious matter," but he said it was not a situation in which large groups of people were "out of control in the streets."

"We never lost control of the streets, and we never lost control of the crowds," Estes said. "It was not a 'near-riot,' as it's being described in some cases."

Estes acknowledged the number of arrests -- about 70 -- was larger than normal for a weekend night in uptown. But he said it was an effort by police to curb troubles before they worsened.

Estes also said the shooting that left one man dead and another injured are a high-priority matter for police investigators.

"If there were 20,000 or 30,000 people in the uptown area Saturday night, and we're talking about 70 arrests, that's a fraction of the people who were in the area," Estes said.

He added, "This was not a minor event. There were problems, and we had to deal with it."

Estes said he knew of no confrontations between the troublemakers and two other groups in the uptown area -- those spending the evening at the clubs and restaurants in Center City, and the people visiting Food Lion Speed Street, the NASCAR-related concerts and displays in uptown.

"Speed Street ended a few hours before the trouble began," he said.

You can read the rest of the "Local Paper's" updated story here.

Cedar's Take: I suspect it depends on your perspective, compared to the riots during the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago or maybe New Orleans during Mardi Gras, it wasn't a true riot or "near riot".

But this is Charlotte, North Carolina, I've lived here all my life and we don't have street fights here without calling them riots.

We don't have groups of people roaming the streets "flashing gang signs" blocking intersections and shooting at one another without calling it a riot.

We don't have people refusing to disperse and go home, mouthing off to police officers or call in the Civil Emergency Unit (Riot Police) in full riot gear without out calling it a riot.

For CMPD's Captain Estes to say that he knows of no confrontations between the thugs and two other groups in the uptown area, those spending the evening at the clubs and restaurants in Center City, and the people visiting Food Lion Speed Street, is just plain nutty.

In an effort to "spin" the story and downplay the violence, Estes has diminished the value of law abiding citizens and validated those who think there is nothing wrong with wanting to roam the streets, beat up and intimidate people, flash gang signs and shoot at each other.


The definition of Riot: A public disturbance involving an assemblage of three or more persons who by disorderly and violent conduct or the imminent threat of disorderly and violent conduct results in injury or damage to persons or property or creates a clear and present danger of injury or damage to persons or property.

Source: CMPD Interactive Directives Guide 900-015 Page Section 111 Paragraph I.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

"Police are trying to put up metal barricades to keep people back [and] they're pushing them over. People yelling at cops 'Forget the police, y'all aren't gonna do anything! Y'all don't run this, we run this' type thing. Gang signs being thrown up and it's something out of a movie," witness Alex Fernelius

No it wasn't a riot just a simple missunderstanding.

Why would anyone one think Rodney Monroe or any of his thugs would tell the truth.

Anonymous said...

Ha Cedar is calling out Captain Estes using the CMPD's directives!

That is EPIC! Mega Props to Cedar Posts!!!!

YOU ROCK!

Anonymous said...

Cedar did you catch the RoMo presser? Oh my goodness why they let Rodney near a microphone is beyond me.

WCNC ran about 15 mins of it, amazing he really is a fool.

Anonymous said...

Rodney's body language told me he didn't believe a word he was saying.
I assume Hugh McCall or Johnny Harris must have had a stern talking to our fearless leader. He looked like he'd just seen a ghost.

Anonymous said...

I watched the video linked to the April riot and it terrified me. I've lived here all my 53 years and cannot believe my hometown has become a haven for stupid thugs. Imagine driving down 3rd Street and stopping at a traffic light while this mayhem was occurring. CMPD and all the downtown PR folks need to acknowledge and deal with this horrible situation. This is beyond belief.

Anonymous said...

It looks like everyone needs to have roll call training on this directive. I would ask Capt. Estes if he would feel comfortable having his family anywhere near uptown during the hours of this incident if it wasn't so bad? I think you should have a poll from all CMPD employees asking them if they would let their family members go uptown on the weekends past 2200 hours.

Anonymous said...

Come on, Rotney! Read my lilps: GENKS! Day be GENKS! Day be kits own drucks ian GENKS! (Gangs! They be kids on drugs in gangs!) This dumb chimp of a police chief thinks that by not saying the word "GANG", that they'll just go away. Or is he afraid of the wrath of "black leaders"? Gang is not a racist word.

Anonymous said...

There were NO police officers in riot gear.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous 8:03 your comment is counter to the offical CMPD line that is CEU was called up at 9PM, as well as a number of comments that police were seen wearing riot gear and armed with assult weapons.

Just saying.

Never Again said...

I was Uptown working Speed Street late Saturday night as a volunteer. I won't to that again.

Most of the crowd at speed street was white, and very polite and orderly. Yes there were a few stupid drunks but nothing crazy like what was going on down along 4th street and along Trade.

There were massive amounts of black people just hanging out. Men, women and punk ass kids running around. They all seemed so out of place. They had no where to go, no money to spend, they were just there.

Two black kids heckled me when I wouldn't give them any money. I have no idea what they were saying as they jumped up and down, skipping circle around me and my wife. They might have been 14 or 15 and were put up to it by older kids and adults. As soon as we got near the Police and the links line they would run back and target another couple.

I hate to say it but they really did act like a couple of little monkeys in a zoo.

Honestly they lived up to the racial sterotype, jumping up and down talking gibberish.

And the Police just stood there.

Anonymous said...

There was no riot because Chief Monroe said there was no riot.

The city is safe, because Chief Monroe says it is safe, unless you happen to walk in front of a bullet of course.

Anonymous said...

Anon 8:19, police were not in riot gear. When CEU deploys (such as July 4th and News Years Eve) they wear their normal duty uniform. They also have a gas mask they carry in case gas needs to be set off (which is standard practice for them). At no time were gas masks put on. The actual riot gear which includes shields, knee pads, elbow pads, chest protectors, helmets, etc was NEVER put on by any of the police. The "assault" weapons the police were armed with were pepperball guns, which again, is standard when the CEU deploys.

To say the police were dressed out in riot gear and armed with assault weapons is uninformed and blatantly wrong. If you want to consider gas masks "dressed out in riot gear" then the only ones like that were CEU and thats is their standard practice. No other police officers even had that.

Anonymous said...

cedar, the footage should begin at 1800 not 2200. A plan was in place to have CEU on scene from the beginning. Medlock is believed to have nixed it. The was no command and control within CEU. Many officers stood around and did nothing. The footage will not be released until forced to do so. The chief is furious of the bad press. You have not seen spin yet.