Idiots Among Us – Cocoa's Owner Paula Brown Cites Racism In Road Rage Incident

You head to work, leave your wife behind and figure she’ll manage to get the kids to school safely, run a few errands and head back to the house or maybe to her office job nearby. 

Never in your wildest dreams, would you expect to have her become the subject of some race baited road rage incident, have to call the cops and then become the subject of some hateful social media messages, calling her every name in the book and labeling her a racist bigot especially since you live in Ballentyne. 

Apparently the driver of a black Nissan SUV with the vanity license plate COCOAS is not very patient and a whole lot of angry. 

The victim who is named Anna describes what happened in her own words: 

"I've lived in this neighborhood for 6 years and never experienced something so shocking. This morning around 9, I was making the right out of Thornhill from Meadow Run Lane, onto Ballantyne Commons Parkway. Lots of traffic, so I guess she thought I was taking too long. She honked at me several times, drove up beside me, called me a BITCH and then proceeded to try to make a right turn IN FRONT OF ME. She said she lives in this neighborhood. This is pathetic and dangerous. If you know her, tell her I've filed a police report."

Road Raging Paula 

Road Raging Paula Says ….

Well a couple hours later the road raging woman who happens to be African American decides to continue her rage on line: 

"My name is Paula Brown and I’ve lived in the neighborhood for years also! First and foremost I was making a left on Ballantyne Commons not a right. Second of all I’m not the one who blew the horn, it was the car behind me. 

Amazingly Paula Includes her photo

When I went to take the left you started shouting belligerent names at me with my kids in the car, and telling me to get out of your neighborhood. 

What makes this your neighborhood? Is the fact that we are people of color that we don’t belong here?" 

Whoa! Did she just play the race card? 

"The remarks you made that “that’s why Trump wants to send me back” was so derogatory, and racist that I was aghast by the remark. 

My kids ashamed, and embarrassed! I’d like to inform you that Cocoas is a chain of restaurants, with multiple locations, two here in Charlotte. I own these restaurants and have worked very hard to get where I am. 

I’m not going to let your racism affect and effect my family, children and goals in life. You’re a pig and can kiss my black ass!" 

Oh now this is fun she manages to cover Donald Trump and immigration and brag about her success all in one paragraph. 

Adding later 

“I can’t wait to talk to the Police!” 

Let us add a little more crazy to this cat fight, now a woman who identifies herself as Jennifer adds: 

"The profanity in front of kids aside, are we now having to add "turning left while black" to the list of offenses that resulted in yet another panicked white person calling the police and from a person in our own neighborhood no less? Paula, please accept my apology on behalf of white people that don't act like this." 

Later Paula adds: 

"I’m the kindest person in the world, feeding the homeless and all! This lady is a lying fascist pig! And obviously needs some attention from someone!" 

So now that we have a name for the Road Raging SUV driver things get really personal, Anna tells Paula she's having non of her nonsense:

"Paula, you know very well that you called me a BITCH and I never called you ANY names! I also didn't make this about your race, you did. Get a clue. You acted terribly this morning. You should be ashamed, feeding the homeless or not." 

But Paula is not finished: 

"You’re 12 year old should’ve been at school at 9:00 am. The kid you see in my truck will be 39 years old in January! And to hear the things you said effected him much more than the possibility of your 12 year old hearing the word “ bitch’ which is not true...Stop making excuses! You did not know I lived in the neighborhood, and it should’ve clued you when I posed for your picture and gave you my tag number. You pulled off before I did remember? And it’s Cocoa’s since you didn’t hear it right!" 

So here's our proud owner of Cocoa's at her store on Sugar Creek

Opps she’s not done yet: 

"Good bye lady! I don’t have time for this nonsense! Have a great day! I never honked my horn. It was the car behind me. That’s the fact! You should’ve never rolled your window down to say anything at all to me. I’m afraid to do that because it’s so many crazy people out here. That’s why we live in Thornhill because we feel safe! Or we use to anyway!" 

Now at this point you might figure we are done, but nope add the voice of Charla to the mix:

"The back exit onto Ballantyne commons is not wide enough for 2 cars to be exiting at the same time. If one was turning right, all other cars should remain behind it until she has left the neighborhood. 2 cars- one turning right and one turning left leaves NO room for a car to come into the neighborhood on Meadow Run. Don't even begin to understand how this has become a race or political issue...." 

And so once again our victim speaks up: 

"Paula, you and I know what was said. You can keep up with the racist accusations, and live with that. I DON'T EVEN know where you got the Trump stuff from, but I would never curse you out in front of my kid, and not yours either (at least I thought he was). You have now called me a fascist, a racist, a pig, and a bitch. Sound like a stretch?" 

Suddenly without warning Paula changes her tone: 

"You’ll are right! I’m sorry Anna! This is just silly!"

So here's a thought guys be careful how you ask "how was your day?" when you walk though that front door tonight.

Cedar's Take: As the number of Yankee transplants grows so do the number of accidents. Rude and aggressive drivers like Paula will eventually get taken out by their own stupidity. The trouble is us Southerners know where we are going and we are not in a big hurry versus the transplants have no idea where they are going and they are in a crazy hurry to make up for the three wrong turns they just made. This is not a good mixture. 

I have only one husband rule, never hook your horn, flip anyone off, roll down your window or get out of your car no matter what happens. OK so it is four rules and lets add leave enough room at all times between you and the car in front of you so that you can go around if they get out of their car for some wrong you have committed and come at you. Don't hesitate to run someone over to get away and if you feel threatened and you can't drive away you have a weapon, use it!

CMPD Changes Watch Commander's Log Reporting

Back in 2007 CMPD began providing the "Watch Commanders Log" aka Significant Event Log on line. The reasoning behind this change is explained in the email below which "City News Watch" has obtained. The email also mentions the 911 calls for service.

From: "Fey, Robert P."
To: Media Release
Sent: Wednesday, September 26, 2007 7:49 PM
Subject: Significant Event Log

Clarification as to why we are no longer e-mailing the WC Log:

I understand there are some misunderstandings about why the Watch Commander's Log no longer being emailed and wanted to clear that up. I apologize if we weren't clear when we introduced it to you yesterday.

We are no longer emailing the Watch Commander's Log because we don't need to. It is now available to everyone on our web site, although with significant improvements. The WC Log was only kept after hours and then emailed in the morning -- so you had to wait for it, and it was typically only shared with CMPD personnel and media. The new Log now covers 24 hours, is updated on our web site as close to real time as information becomes available and now everyone has the opportunity to view these events without worrying about being on a distribution list. That means citizens have better access to this information, which augments with 911 Calls For Service feature that has been online now for a few months.

Please call me if you have any questions.

Robert P. Fey Public Affairs Officer
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department
601 East Trade Street Charlotte, NC 28202
rfey@cmpd.org
704.336.2338 o 704.619.4169 c 703629

The reversal of this position at CMPD reflects Chief Monroe's leadership model of hide, distort, confuse and deny. The Watch Commander's Log and the 911 Calls for Service reports now removed from public view is a clear sign of a "closed and secret society". One that we as citizens of Charlotte can not tolerate.

While WSOC TV continues to tell the public that the 911 Calls for Service issue has been corrected nothing could be farther from the truth.

CMPD Chief Monroe's Taser Shocker

On Monday CMPD Chief Monroe will ask Charlotte City Council Members to approve a $2,529,350.06 deal with Taser International to supply all 1600 CMPD Officers with the new and improved Taser X2.


New Taser X2

The major reason to upgrade to the new Taser X2 is that the device automatically limits the shock to no more than 5 seconds. The department has known for sometime that a frequent cause of death via the Taser X26 was "over shocking", something that the new X2 prevents.

Taser Training is pretty simple, if you repeatedly zap a suspect holding down the trigger there is a real chance you will kill them which will cost the city about 10 million dollars.

Taser International will give CMPD a $700,000.00 credit for current X26 equipment, $400,000.00 will come from the asset forfeiture account and $1,429,350.06 from the City's General Fund.

CMPD fully deployed the Taser X26 in 2003 on a shared use basis. In 2006 the city purchased enough additional Tasers at a cost of $799.00 each, so that each officer had his own Taser. The new Tasers will cost the department $1,580.00 each.

On July 20th Chief Monroe recalled all CMPD Tasers after the death of La'Reko Williams. On August 30th Chief Monroe issued a statement saying that he was not returning the current Tasers to CMPD officers because he was ordering an additional study to be conducted by the Washington DC based Police Executive Research Forum (PERF).

See Don't Tase Me Bro! How Chief Monroe is Shocking Taxpayers

The independent PERF review is still ongoing, but now, before the review is complete Monroe wants to purchase the new Tasers. Which is what CMPD staff suggested last month.

Cedar's Take: Its time for Charlotte City Council to ask some questions and not just "bend over" for Chief Monroe. You'll notice on the agenda for Monday's meeting Chief Monroe will give his presentation during the dinner meeting and not as part of the public meeting.

CMPD has known for more than a year that they should upgrade to the new Taser X2 which became available earlier this year. In fact Taser International has been meeting with CMPD since 2010 regarding the upgrade.

Easy questions that Council should ask: Why haven't the old Tasers been returned to CMPD Officers? Why the additional cost of the PERF study when the team of CMPD officers already recommended upgrading the equipment? Since the X2 is a new product, shouldn't CMPD wait for some feedback from the field? Why not wait for completion of the PREF Study? Why wasn't this upgrade included in the CMPD 2012 budget? Why have CMPD officers been without Tasers for more than two months? Finally what do CMPD officers want? Did the boots on the street have any say?

There is no excuse for CMPD Officers not having Tasers, and there is no excuse for CMPD Officers not having the best equipment available. So why all the mismanagement?

Cedar Post's Update: Looks like Rodney Monroe has already signed the deal with Taser International prior to the Charlotte City Council vote Monday night. Emails to Cedar Posts note that CMPD's old Tasers where shipped out last month. Further that the delay late last month in returning the Tasers to CMPD Officers was just a stall tactic since there where no Tasers to return to the Officers.

Then there's Taser International's Dog and Pony show Monday morning. Which is spelled out in
CMPD and Taser International's Monday Roll Out Meeting Memo.

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.

GOP Mayoral Candidate Scott Stone Warns Uptown Violence is Not Isolated Incident

Scott Stone's campaign released the following early this afternoon:

Stone Warns that Uptown Violence is not Isolated Incident
Mayor more concerned about protecting city image than protecting Charlotte citizens

Charlotte, NC – Charlotte mayoral candidate Scott Stone called on the current mayor to take a stronger stance on the ongoing gang violence and the activities associated with the recent Uptown riot.

Stone’s comments follow the violent riot that occurred in Uptown Charlotte over the weekend, leaving one dead and 70 arrested.

“The current mayor is more concerned about protecting the city’s image than he is about protecting our citizens,” Stone said. “The DNC coming to town has nothing to do with the daily challenges we face. Ongoing gang crime in our commerce centers, such as Uptown, will dramatically impact economic recovery and kill jobs. People will not go to dinner and shows in Uptown if they do not feel safe walking down the street.”

Stone called on the mayor to get engaged in the issue. “Our current mayor has severely misjudged the situation and has been invisible. He believes that this weekend’s riots are an isolated incident which only needs investigation. However, this is an ongoing problem. We have gangs in Charlotte and we need a mayor who is willing to admit that if we are going to fix the problem.”

Stone called for aggressive pro-active enforcement of existing anti-loitering laws and curfews as a first step. “Our officers on the street are frustrated. They are held back from being proactive in on-the-street enforcement,” Stone said, citing direct discussions with CMPD officers. “Our officers are constantly worried about taking necessary and appropriate actions on their patrols because they are worried about the ‘political correctness’ environment which too often drives their actions and decisions.”

Post Speed Street ALL HELL BREAKS OUT!

Charlotte police officers had their hands full early this morning as dozens of African American thugs described as "several groups of people" by CMPD, confronted each other on the streets of "Uptown" Charlotte shortly after the Speed Street event had closed for the evening. The violence continued off and on for over two hours and ended in a homicide.

Nearly an hour after the official end of Speed Street events and long after most NASCAR fans had gone home, the groups began fighting during what some have described as "near riot" conditions in the post Speed Street hours.

According to CMPD the groups where not partaking in the Speed Street events but apparently came uptown to create general mayhem. The groups were seen roaming the area that included the Speed Street venue and the transit center.

"Officers noted people flashing gang signs, challenging other people as well as police officers, attempting to block sidewalks, and impeding vehicle traffic."

The mayhem reached a dramatic crescendo when CMPD officers heard several gunshots, and responded to the 200 block of 3rd Street to discover one person dead and another shot.

According to the CMPD press release, two groups became involved in one of many continuing altercations when a someone in the group pulled a handgun and fired at random, striking a man once in the head. He died at the scene.

The mob moved further down Collage street where a second person was shot in the lower leg. He was later transported in handcuffs to Carolinas Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries.

CMPD helicopter and K-9 units were called in but were unable to locate the shooting suspect.

The Speed Street event has been staffed with officers from CMPD's Central Division as well as paid off duty CMPD officers. As the conditions deteriorated additional CMPD resources, including CMPD's Civil Energency Unit aka riot police were called in to control the gangs.

A department email released at 3:18 this morning stated that "Approximately 70 arrests were made, including nearly 15 juvenile arrests. The majority of the arrests were made for disorderly conduct, fighting, assault and impeding traffic.

Cedar Posts Update: 11:00 AM After staying quiet most of the morning the "Local Paper" has now weighed in as have WBT and WSOC.

If you think Uptown is the place you want to be after dark this video might change your mind. The video is here. I'm not sure of the source but it appears to be from a CMPD camera taken with a cell phone video camera.

Note: The video linked above is not from last night's madness but from April. Though I expect the idea is much the same.

Cedar Posts Update: 4:23 PM CMPD has identified the deceased victim as Antwan Terrell Smith DOB 8/23/1988. Smith had priors for sexual assault, ADW, resiting arrest, assault on a female. He was last arrested in June of last year.


Antwan Terrell Smith

The second shooting victim has been identified at Durante Kavon James DOB 03/16/1989. James has a long arrest record dating back to at least 2008. Crimes included armed robbery, drug charges, trespassing, resisting a public officer. James is expected to recover from his injuries. No word on pending charges.


Durante Kavon James

Passing of CMPD Officer "Slim" Burgess

As you might guess from his nickname Everette Collins Burgess was "Carolina" born and raised, along with a little help from the United States Marine Corps.

Slim was 81 when he passed way at his home in Maiden, North Carolina, with his family by his side on April 12, 2011.

He was born on July 31, 1929 in Rockingham County, the son of Herbert C. and Mattie Saunders Burgess.

Slim served two tours of duty with the U. S. Marine Corps and served as an officer with the Charlotte Police Department for 30 years.

Slim Burgess is well known for two things many CMPD officers today take for granted. He was one of the first three pioneering helicopter pilots when the department acquired its first helicopter the famed and original "Snoopy One" officially known as a Bell 47G-5.

The Bell 47 recognizable by its gold fish bowl cockpit and saddle bag fuel tanks also had the well known nick name of "salt shaker".



But Slim's most noteble contribution might just be the hornet's nest badge that today every CMPD officer wears, the badge he designed.



Cedar's Take:

I don't know a pilot who hasn't read at least a dozen times John Gillespie Magee, Jr's poem.

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
of sun-split clouds, — and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of — wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there,
I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air....

Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue
I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace.
Where never lark, or even eagle flew —
And, while with silent lifting mind I have trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
- Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

Fittingly the poem was included in Slim Burgess' service held at Mt. Anderson Baptist Church on April 15, 2011.

Mid Morning Shooting and Death On a Quiet South Charlotte Street

Photo Credit: Diedra Laird The Local Paper

Good Friday's weather was fittingly overcast with intermittent rain. The reduced amount of traffic and a post rush hour start to the holiday weekend ahead made a stop at Caribou Coffee an easy choice for Robert Barber and his wife Deborah. A choice that less that an hour later would become tragic.

Police say that Dr. Barber and his wife went to Caribou Coffee on Fairview Road Friday morning. Barber's wife then drove to work and Barber elected to walk to his home, on Dunwick Place, just off of Carmel Road and a little more than two and a half miles away.

Mullens Ford Road is a locally known short cut to the small Foxcroft East neighborhood shopping center. The road runs behind the immaculately groomed athletic fields of Charlotte Country Day School and ends at Carmel road.

Dt. Barber left the Foxcroft East shopping center and began his walk home carrying his newspaper and coffee. He made his way along the sidewalk of Simsbury Road and then a short while later turned left on to Mullens Ford. The lawns of well maintained 500 thousand dollar homes and a nearly continuous canopy of oak and maple trees would provide a pleasant shelter from the rain.

As he walked past a group of apartments, where the sidewalk ends he may have noticed a young black man shadowing him, but probably gave the young man little thought as the rain increased and he stepped carefully over puddles of rain in the curbside gutters and into the street.

By the time Dr. Barber reached the corner of Mullens Ford and Manor Mill Road the black man had caught up to him.

Around 10:30 Police officers respond to a call on Mullens Ford Road and a report of shots fired. What they found was the body of 64 year old Robert Latimer Barber face down on the pavement dead of an apparent gunshot wound.

They soon learned the man they found dead was the director of financial services at Carolinas HealthCare, that he had a doctorate in health care administration from the Medical University of South Carolina, and had retired from the U.S. Air Force as a colonel.

Dr. Barber's newspaper was still in his hand.

Police quickly wrapped the area in crime scene tape and officers talked in groups among themselves and interviewed neighbors in pairs. Deputy Police Chief Harold Medlock leaded against the street sign marking the corner of Mullens Ford and Manor Mill Road. A black trap lay across the body of a man who an hour ago was enjoying a simple cup of coffee with his wife of many years. District Attorney Andrew Murray made an appearance his navy blazer, blue jeans and tie a sharp contrast to the uniforms and more causally dressed neighbors.

A CMPD helicopter hovered overhead, as an officer with a German Shepard walked around the crime scene. At one point the police dog was turned off leash but found nothing.

The suspect a young black man was last seen running back up Mullens Ford Road towards Simsbury Road and the Foxcroft East Shopping Center.

Three hours later the rain slowed, and was replaced by a steady mist. The emergency flashers of WSOC TV's News Truck the only sign of a news worthy event. Gone were the police cruisers and crime scene tape. The fire department and paramedics were gone as well and neighbors had returned to their homes. All that was left to do was pass the hours til it was time for the 5 O'clock newscast and a tease that comes with being "WSOC" promising an answer to why the Mecklenburg County DA was on the scene that would be held until the 6PM repeat of the facts.

Cars speed along Carmel Road just a block away and life goes on.

Charlotte Police describe the suspect as a black male with a dark complexion and a short hair cut, between 20-30 years of age, 6'2" tall and skinny, and last seen wearing dark pants and a white and black plaid shirt or jacket.

More details from WBTV News here.

Friday Odds and Ends

Andy Dulin in Developer's Pockets? - You Betcha!



Early this week Andy Dulin (@ADulin) hit twitter with a couple of messages saying that the "Local Paper's" story on the Quail Corners Shopping Center re-zoning request portrayed him unfairly.

At issue is the rezoning that would allow a fast-food restaurant at Quail Corners shopping center on Park Road. Crosland says that without the fast-food re-zoning they can't give the Quail Corners a much needed face lift. Neighbors say no way and that a decades old agreement promised no fast food restaurant.



According to the paper "Crosland executives, attorneys from its law firm, K&L Gates, and the political action committee of the Real Estate and Building Industry Coalition founded by Crosland donated at least $30,050 to the winning candidates during and after the 2009 city elections. "

In 2007 City Council voted 9-2 to rezone three acres in Dulin's district despite a city staff objection. It allowed a 10-story condo tower near single-family homes.

The rezoning was pushed by developer Afshin Ghazi, who is a generous campaign donor. He and his business associates had given more than $10,000 total to six of the council members who voted for the project, and Ghazi held a fundraiser for Republican Andy Dulin.

Dulin represents the Quail Corners area, accepted $4,050 from Crosland, K&L Gates and REBIC, which is 7 percent of his total for the last campaign.

Dulin says he hasn't decided how he'll vote. He said Crosland hasn't lobbied him.

"None. Zero. Not a single sentence, not a word of you owe us," Dulin told the "Local Paper". "As a matter of fact, I had breakfast with Peter B. Pappas (Crosland's lead on the project) on a separate subject, and it didn't come up."

Cedar's Take: Bullshit, I know Peter Pappas and it didn't have to come up.

But Dulin isn't the only one on the take, after the January 24 zoning hearing, council member Edwin Peacock told a group opposing the change that "council members know the developers and the attorneys well, and that they had good will with the city."

Peacock said he was trying to relay the message that Crosland and K&L Gates have a long history with the city. Peacock, whose 2009 campaign took in $3,150 from REBIC's PAC, Crosland executives and K&L Gates attorneys.

Cedar's Take Two: Least we forget the Quail Hollow Village at Seven Eagles across the street that remains an over grown weed covered field with a 3 acre stagnant pond. Thanks to Charlotte City Council and Harris Land Company.

City Attorney Offers to Settle Less Than 48 Hours After Jackson Victim Suit Filed. According to sources Charlotte City Attorney has offered to settle the latest law suit at whatever level is fair and makes sense for all parties involved.

Sources tell Cedar Posts the offer on the table is only $18,000.00.

The Local Paper's Editorial Board says going to trial would benefit the public you can read the entire editorial here.

Cedar's Take: RoMo again escapes.

Jennifer Roberts Proposes Massive Tax Hike - Despite the fact that North Carolina state law requires that county's adopt revenue neutral tax rates following a property revaluation Mecklenburg County Chair Jennifer Roberts is proposing a neutral tax rate which would generate a massive tax increase.

In 2003 the General Assembly added subsection (e) to North Carolina General Statute (hereinafter G.S.) 159-11, which requires each taxing unit (County and City) to publish a revenue-neutral property tax rate (“revenue-neutral rate”) as part of its budget for the fiscal year following the revaluation of its real property. You can read about revenue-neutral and how is should be addressed here.

Do you remember Mecklenburg County Assessor Garrett Alexander saying "just because your home has increased in value doesn't mean you'll see a tax increase"? Well guess what?

Cedar's Take: You're getting a tax increase.

School Board Member Stands By Statement - CMS School Board Member Rhonda Lennon sent a rather dismissive and rude series of emails to a CMS parent, which Cedar Posts linked to here on Monday.

Yesterday Lennon agreed to talk with News Channel 36 saying that "she's gotten some heat, but she's spoken to others who agree with her message and she stands by what she said. "Probably the only thing I would have said differently would be that I do think that children need to find something other than sports to motivate them. We're here for academic success. That's our job," she said."

Cedar's Take: I find it hard to believe anyone would agree with her tone. You can read the emails here on Jeff Taylor's Meck Deck Blog.

CMPD Report on Tisdale Death - According to sources Chief Monroe's investigation of Delvonte Tisdale's death and the breech of security at Charlotte Douglas International Airport is complete. In the report delivered to aviation director Jerry Orr, CMPD investigators turn up numerous places Tisdale could have breached the fence otherwise the document turns up nothing new, citing inconclusive evidence and no firm theories.

The report notes that the railroad tracks on the north side of the airport make a straight run to Tisdale's home. At the airport the tracks are less than 100 yards from the fence on the north end of runway 18L/36R, the runway that the Boston bound flight departed from on the night of Tisdale's death. The exact place that Cedar Posts suggested was the point entry for Delvonte Tisdale.

The report has not been made public.

TSA and Homeland Security will meet today to discuss the Tisdale case and other security breeches.

Cheris Hodges pens a detailed review of what we know at Creative Loafing which is here and the local paper takes Aviation Director Jerry Orr to task here.

Monday Odds and Ends

Some Over Due Kudos - Last week CMPD and Huntersville police officers worked fast to track down accused murderer Jamarr Springs.

The one man crime spree was heading north when CMPD first received the call around 10:30.

Fifteen minutes after the first call the suspect had forced a driver out of his vehicle and took a passenger hostage. The passenger was released a short time later unharmed.

As police closed in, Springs fled on foot down Sam Furr Road. Officials say Springs removed most of his clothing and was wearing only his underwear when he was arrested.

But according to FOX News there was consider behind the scenes drama that played out over the airwaves.

From Fox News: There were some tense moments of radio communication in the field that could have been the difference between life and death for police.

CMPD uses the communication center in Uptown Charlotte while Huntersville uses North Mecklenburg's.

CMPD's call center was trying to sync up with North Mecklenburg's, they asked for approval, but there was a delay.

CMPD Captain Chuck Adkins says we were unable to get that approval in a timely manner, so just for the officers safety out there, we made that patch."

Besides Huntersville and CMPD officers the folks in CMPD's communications unit get a major shout out for working through the issues that prevented CMPD and Huntersville officers from talking to each other directly.

Cedar's Take: You would think that now nearly ten years after 9/11 we would understand the importance of functional radios. Are you listen Mecklenburg Board of Commissioners and Charlotte City Council?

Panthers Steve Smith - File this one under men behaving badly.


Carolina Panther's Steve Smith rips a sign from a Seahawk fan during Sunday's loss in Seattle. The Panthers are dealing with the teams worst season in history.

Not that anyone can blame Smith or anyone else from getting a little frustrated with yesterday's beating at the hands of the Seahawks.

The Panthers are now 1-15 (yes I count the pre-season games), and its probably a little late to get frustrated. But yesterday's second half was so bad that it makes you wonder if they threw the game. Remind me not to invite John Foxx as a 1/2 time motivational speaker anytime soon or to have Smith do any pet sitting for me. More on next season, the lock out and the next head coach from Jeff Taylor at the Meck Deck which is here.

WikiLeaks - Nothing worst than finding out someone has hacked into your email account and read all of your rants about your neighbor, boyfriend, ex-wife, or about your drug deals, government bribes or next corporate takeover target. Especially if you happen to be the United States Federal Government. Caught with your pants down, the only thing you can do it threaten arrests and claim treason and espionage.

On the other hand if your an American citizen and they hack into your GMail account then its just our government doing their job under the patriot act.

Cedar Says: Its a pretty sad reflection on our government's ability to protect and to keep their computers secure. In the age of the Internet we as citizens have come to accept that there is no privacy, so hows it feel Washington?

Tiger Woods - Golf's golden child choked and went back to his club throwing ways on Sunday.


Tiger reacts after missing a putt on the seventh green during the final round of the Chevron World Challenge golf tournament at Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, Calif., Sunday, Dec. 5, 2010. (AP Photo/Gus Ruelas)

Woods blew a four-shot lead as US Open Champion Graeme McDowell sunk an awesome birdie putt on 72nd hole to force a playoff, then holed a birdie on the first hole of sudden death finish off the number 2 ranked Woods.

Trainspotting in East Charlotte

The 1996 British film about heroin addicts in the 1980's is a gritty look at five young men as they pass through life tormented by heroin addiction. Set in historic Edinburgh Scotland the five go about their days passed over by "normal" society.

As Charlotte learns more about the death of Valerie Hamilton many are surprised to learn that drugs may have played a role. Hamilton's accused killer Micheal Harvey has a long record of addiction, and petty crime to support his drug habit.

When Harvey was arrested in New York on Monday police found him laying on a couch high on heroin with drugs and "tools of addiction" scattered on a coffee table. Photos and video of Harvey shortly after his arrest show him passed out in the back of a police SUV.

Last month 17 year old Danielle Holmes and her boyfriend Jonathan Fitzgerald were heroin addicts in search of a "fix" when they killed alleged drug dealer Oscar Alvarado Chavez at an apartment complex off of Central Avenue.

Once considered a ghetto drug, and something only "hard core" drug addicts would become involved in, heroin has found a home in middle class America as the drug of choice for young people. Today's heroin addicts are more likely to smoke the drug rather than inject the drug. Humorously many these addicts will present their arms and lack of needle marks claiming to be drug free.

This lack of "tell tail" signs leaves most friends and family members surprised to learn of an addicts hard core drug abuse that more times than not includes heroin.

East Charlotte's connection to Mexico is stronger than ever and that connection unfortunately includes heroin and with it comes crime and sometimes murder.

Killer Michael Harvey Arrested In New York

Michael Harvey has been arrested in Niagara Falls, N.Y., Charlotte-Mecklenburg police confirm.

A murder warrant was issued for Harvey in connection with the death of 23-year-old Valerie Hamilton, who was found dead on Friday.

An agent for the US Marshal's office stated that they believe Michael Harvey arrived in Niagara Falls around noon on Sunday. The agent provided that the Niagara County Sheriff's department got a tip that led to Harvey's arrest. Authorities are saying little, except that around ten thirty this morning, Michael Harvey was arrested just a few blocks from his childhood home in Niagara Falls.

An agent for the US Marshal's office stated that Harvey was found at a friend's house and that Harvey was asleep on a couch and surrounded by heroin paraphernalia.

The white Chevy Blazer that police believed Harvey stole from North Carolina was located behind a local mall. The inside of the SUV had been burned in an apparent effort to destroy evidence. Harvey was taken into custody without incident.



Harvey is from Niagara Falls and has family there. Police have not said where in the town he was taken into custody.

Niagara Falls News 4 tried to interview his family on Sunday, but reported that they did not want to appear on camera but did have this to say, "He hasn't been here in six years, leave. That's my comment, leave. When his father died. That was the last time he was here. We haven't seen him in six years"

Cedar Posts has learned that Harvey was a habitual drug user who stole to feed his habit. As facts emerge so does a less attractive picture of Harvey. His New York conviction in 1996 was for 2nd degree sexual assault, which in New York generally means sex with someone under the age of consent. However consent in New York doesn't apply when the victim is under 17 and the perp is over 18. Harvey was 19 at the time of his arrest.

However the Charlotte Observer is reporting that Harvey, was convicted of 1st degree sexual assault. According to the Observer: "News articles at the time say he met the 20-year-old victim at a bar, asked her for a ride home, then directed her to an isolated spot where he raped her and stole $40. He served four years in a New York prison".

Which makes a pretty good case for guilty as charged.

Read more: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2010/09/21/1707444/michael-harveys-criminal-past.html#ixzz10BgkjCon

Further disturbing is that police are only calling this a homicide and not a sexual attack, not a kidnapping. Rumors of Valerie Hamilton's drug use are beginning to emerge as well.



Her 2008 arrest for DWI and under age drinking help shape the picture in the lack of other information.


Hamilton 2008 Mug Shot Photo MeckCo Sheriff's Office

No one will know for sure until the autopsy report is released. However given much of the information known so far there should be some merit given to the possibility that Ms. Hamilton simply over dosed and Harvey panicked.

Which, in that case the 1st degree murder charge would be reduced to manslaughter.

Rodney Monroe unzipped his fly during a presser this morning by telling gathered media that they will not know anything until the autopsy is complete and that they will "increase or modify charges" at that time. WSOC Video of the press conference is here.

Chief Monroe who had been MIA last week, left the presser shortly thereafter.

Turner Gets Zapped!

Kevin Siers cartoon suggests that divine intervention will be the cause of Warren Turner's ultimate dismissal from his job as Charlotte City Council member.

Mr. Turner's dismissal from his job as a state probation officer was considerably less dramatic.

While Mr. Turner was in clear violation of directives most recently issued to him, it seems odd that after years of service the last of many while he was a city council member that his work ethics would suddenly become an issue.

It would appear that his actions as Charlotte City Council member and the suspicion of sexual harassment caused enough concern at the DOC that they simply created a reason to terminate his employment.

It's too bad that Andy Dulin and his "wild and crazy" council buddy Warren Cooksey didn't have the back bone to stand up and censure Mr. Turner when they had the chance.

You can read Jeff Taylor's take on the firing of Warren Turner here, and the letter spelling out Turner's misdeeds at the DOC courtesy of the Charlotte Observer is here.

Cedar Posts Extra Take Away: Did you notice how quickly the DOC released the personel information on Warren Turner? Why didn't CMPD do the same with regards to Marcus Jackson?

CMPD Frisbee Football Follow-Up

Last month Cedar Posts wrote about Chief Monroe's bozo idea of having on the clock CMPD officers participate in a Frisbee Football tournament.

A week later we reported that the tournament had been scraped. Last week WFAE's Greg Collard posted the following very interesting footnote and discourse with CMPD's Rob Tufano:



Still waiting for a Frisbee football answer

Earlier this month, WFAE reported on the number of injuries CMPD officers have suffered in the department’s Ultimate Frisbee football tournament. The department proceeded with the tournament even through the city’s risk manager advised against it because the city would be liable for injuries.

A few days after our story aired, a blog called Cedar Posts and Barbwire Fences reported that CMPD canceled Frisbee football, but didn’t name its source(s). (See CP's Note Below.)

We’ve tried to find out for ourselves. The championship game was scheduled for Jan. 18th (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day). CMPD public affairs officer Rob Tufano told WFAE the game was canceled. That seemed odd because it was a nice, reasonably warm day.

The rest of Greg's entry and the really good stuff is here.

Note: Cedar Posts is often unable to name names as most CMPD employees understandably fear for their jobs. Also in many cases tips come to via an anonymous email. We protect our sources however, we will in the future adhere to the long standing tradition of using phrases like "unnamed sources" or "a source close to" or "spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on the subject" to identify sources we are unable to name.

City Council Votes NOT To See Jackson File

Charlotte City Council decided Monday that they didn't want to see former officer Marcus Jackson's personnel file.

City Manager Curt Walton has said he is against releasing the records, and the six council members voting against going into closed session essentially ends the issue.



Voting not to discuss Jackson's personnel record were council members Andy Dulin, Edwin Peacock, Patrick Cannon, James Mitchell, Patsy Kinsey and Warren Cooksey.

Chief Monroe declined to comment after the vote. He left the Government Center immediately and walked to police headquarters two blocks away. Asked by reporters if he had any comment, he said no as he stepped into an elevator.

Two weeks ago, council members voted 6-5 to review the file. But during tonight's scheduled meeting, some council members changed their minds.

Council member Warren Cooksey said he was against releasing the file because it would go against N.C. law and how the city has conducted business. "We have gained additional information in the last two weeks, both in public and in a variety of conversations" He said Monroe has assured him publicly and privately that CMPD has made reforms in its hiring procedures.

Morgan Fogarty at Fox News:

The black eye on the men and women in blue grows each day it seems. Ex-CMPD Officer Marcus Jackson indicted on four more charges on behalf of four women. Add those to the laundry list of charges he was indicted on last week. Mayor Anthony Foxx says, "I believe the police chief and city manager have done an inordinately good job letting the public know the facts."

But despite what appears to be growing evidence against the disgraced officer, city council voted, seven to three, to not even discuss releasing his personnel file; a file that could shed light on whether any early disciplinary problems were overlooked. Read the rest of the Fox News report here.

Cedar Says: Why am I not surprised?

Why would they not want to just view Jackson's personnel file in private?

The only conclusion based on Cooksey's comment is that Monroe contacted them privately and in the "conversations" Monroe asked them to leave the matter alone. Clearly there is something big in Jackson's file.

One can only assume that the file must implicate Rodney Monroe directly as there is no other reason not to even look at the file unless the file shows Monroe's involvement in Jackson's suspension, which in that case council would rather not know.

Expect a plea deal on the table and no jail time for Jackson as well as a big settlement to keep the file from being opened in court.

Rodney Monroe Gets a Free Pass Observer Crime Reporter Chris Kirkpatrick Laid Off

I've got to say this for the embattled Chief, he has the damn best luck when it comes to snaking his way out of trouble. Just when the heat was on about his spending the DSS and Harry Jones mess got the attention of the news media.

He hired Rob Trufono just when the water started to boil over about his phony degree and last week the Observer's top crime reporter was given the ax by the McClatchy Company just as the Marcus Jackson scandal gets interesting.

According to Greg Collard at WFAE Kirkpatrick got the ax in most recent round of Observer cutbacks. The Observer recruited him a few years ago after being a Pulitzer Prize finalist at the Toledo Blade. He was the Observer’s primary crime reporter had done a lot of work on the CMPD and Marcus Jackson scandal.

Kirkpatrick was also one of Cedar's contracts for vetting out fact from fiction and spin from reality. Much of what you read here comes from discussions and emails that help eliminate gossip and sift out fact and people like Chris are the bedrock of investigative journalism.

It wouldn't surprise me that Kirkpatrick started asking too many questions and the Observer was told to shut him down.

WFAE Says Tonight's Vote Regarding The Marcus Jackson File May Not Even Matter

Tonight’s the big night for Charlotte City Council, CMPD and City Manager Curt Walton. Will city council vote to release the personnel file of former officer Marcus Jackson?

Well, as WFAE’s Lisa Miller reports today, it might not matter if council decides to make the file public. Sure, such a vote would put more pressure Walton, but he still has the final say. City Attorney Mac McCarley sent Lisa Miller the following e-mail last Friday:

If Council wants to authorize the release of file material after reviewing it, the Manager would have to reach the same conclusion before the issue could move forward. The statute requires the Manager to make a written finding that public confidence in the service requires releasing otherwise confidential material, and then the Council must concur. I don’t know Curt’s current thinking on this issue, but up until early this week, he was still of the opinion that release was not warranted.

If both the Manager and Council agreed to a release, it could probably happen sometime in the business day following Council action.

WFAE Again on Top of CMPD

WAFE's Lisa Miller has been doing her home work today looking at the 17 CMPD officers who have be charged with crimes over the past two years.

Charlotte City Council tonight will inspect and decide whether to release the personnel file of fired Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Officer Marcus Jackson.

It would be an extraordinary move, but state laws allow it if it's essential to maintaining public confidence in the administration of city services.

Jackson is among 17 CMPD officers charged with crimes over the past two years.

In this report, WFAE's Lisa Miller examines what that says about the department.

In 2008 and 2009, the seventeen CMPD officers were charged with crimes that include DWIs, public intoxication, assault on a female and conspiracy to sell and distribute cocaine.

But the case of Marcus Jackson has received the most attention. He's accused of sexually assaulting five women he pulled over on traffic stops and one woman who called 911 to get protection from her boyfriend.

This is what Police Chief Rodney Monroe had to say about Jackson's plight on December 30th when the first charges were filed against him.

"To have one of our own involved in such a disgraceful activity is not only a violation of the public's trust and the misuse of authority as an officer, but a complete dishonor to this department and the officers who proudly uphold the integrity and honor that goes along with this badge," said Monroe.

Yes, integrity and honor is what's expected of police officers. But lapses happen in police departments across the country. So what's the extent of the problem within the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department?

Major Tim Danchess oversees CMPD's Internal Affairs department.

"We're really talking about a very small percentage of actual employees involved in these offenses," says Danchess. "So while it's not acceptable and it looks horrible we do need to keep it in perspective."

Danchess says CMPD has about 1,700 sworn officers. Of the seventeen charged with crimes in the past two years, about a third have been found guilty, 1 not guilty, and three cases are still pending. The rest have had the charges against them dropped - most of these are charges dealing with assault on a female.

"It's hard to compare department to department unless you're looking at specific sized departments in like areas with like laws," says Danchess.

Neither the U.S. Department of Justice, the FBI, nor the International Association of Chiefs of Police track police misconduct numbers at a national level and many police departments don't release their figures.

"So we turn to media reports of misconduct to try to find that information," says Seattle resident David Packman.

Packman runs what he calls the National Police Misconduct Statistics and Reporting Project for the website http://www.injusticeeverywhere.com/. He searches and filters these reports to document and try to understand police misconduct. The search engines have been rolling since April of last year. He cautions that his data is far from complete, but from what he can tell at this point:

"Charlotte seems average in matter of transparency and in a matter of how much police misconduct we're seeing," says Packman.

Raleigh's police department, roughly half the size of Charlotte's, has had three officers charged with crimes over the past two years. But Packman cautions not to judge a department solely by the high numbers of officers that go through the criminal justice system.

"Sometimes it can be a good thing because that means the officials in that area take police misconduct a bit more seriously and are a bit more aggressive in dealing with police misconduct than in an area where they keep all their disciplinary and investigative processes secret internally," says Packman.

Tonight city council will decide whether to let the public in on that process regarding former officer Marcus Jackson.

But the City Attorney says City Manager Curt Walton has the final say and can still decide not to release the records. Walton has said several times it doesn't make sense to open them.

Could this be a cover up? Ya Think? Well, Jeff Taylor at The Meck Deck thinks the "fix is in" offers up his own thinking on this mess with City Manager or.... City BOSS?

I'm going repeat what someone posted early today. With DSS, Harry Jones, CMUD billing errors, Parks Helms, RoMo, Mackey, CMPD and Curt Walton just how crooked is Charlotte Mecklenburg?

RoMo Meets City Council Again

Rodney Monroe will meet with City Council today at 5:30 and so the Marcus Jackson fiasco comes down to this:

Will Charlotte City Council buy into the RoMo spin and accept the whitewash?

Will Council accept Jackson’s cleansed file as fact, or request an FBI investigation?

If Jackson’s failures while an officer of CMPD were not Monroe’s responsibilities then who is running the department?

If Jackson was indeed given only a 2 day suspension for speeding and conduct unbecoming an officer who decided that 2 days were enough?

Monroe will try to direct focus on the convenient failed hiring and screening processes. But who on council is smart enough to understand that the problem was nearly 18 months in the making with nearly 12 months of close contact when no one paid attention.

While the failure to screen is clear, the failure to supervise is a beacon pointing to the failures of Rodney Monroe.

Finally if Jackson’s file has been cleansed who among City Council will stand up to the Chief and demand the truth?

CMPD Background Checks