Six Charlotte Cops Face Termination Over Texts Allegedly Containing Text Message Thread Filled With Racial Slurs, Racial Profiling, And Police Brutality: Allegedly Competed To Pull Over The Most Black Drivers: Texts Came To Light Amid Flock Camera Misuse Investigation

Six Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department officers are facing termination after a state investigation uncovered a private text message thread filled with racial slurs, targeted racial profiling, and jokes regarding police brutality.

The messages, discovered during a separate state criminal probe, have triggered widespread outrage and prompted civil rights leaders to call for an immediate review of all arrests made by the involved officers.

Flock Camera Investigation Uncovers “Clan Rally” Rhetoric

The texts came to light after the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) seized and downloaded data from the phone of former CMPD Officer Seth Elliott. Elliott was arrested in July 2026 for allegedly misusing the Flock law enforcement license plate reader system.

Instead of isolated misconduct, state investigators discovered a highly active group chat consisting of multiple patrol officers. According to internal law enforcement sources, the text thread revealed a toxic culture within the shift, including:

Targeted Profiling Competitions: Officers actively competed against one another to see who could stop, search, or arrest the most Black residents.

Pervasive Racial Slurs: The messages frequently utilized the N-word and other derogatory language targeting minority communities.

Jokes About Excessive Force: Group members routinely joked about discharging firearms and using physical violence against Black individuals.

In a striking admission of the chat’s nature, an internal message obtained by reporters showed that one participating officer had previously warned his colleagues that the thread “sound[ed] like a clan (sic) rally.”

Civil Service Board to Determine Firings

Following the SBI’s discovery, CMPD leadership moved to suspend all six officers without pay, citing egregious violations of department directives and a total breach of public trust. While some of the involved officers chose to resign immediately, the remaining officers face formal termination.

Because CMPD officers are protected by local civil service regulations, their permanent removal hinges on upcoming hearings before the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Civil Service Board, which holds the final authority on terminations.

“A Crisis of Trust”

The revelations have sent shockwaves through the Charlotte community, drawing swift condemnation from local activists and legal experts. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg NAACP issued a statement demanding an independent audit of the department and a sweeping review of every criminal case tied to the accused officers.

NAACP President Corrine Mack says the discovery wasn’t surprising. 

“We need to look at every case that they have had their hands on, every case to see if any of those cases prove that there has been some racialization going on and some criminalization going on against Black and brown people,” Mack said.  

Legal analysts warn that prosecutors may be forced to dismiss dozens of active cases, as the officers’ documented racial bias severely compromises their credibility as state witnesses.

In a public statement, CMPD officials stated that the department remains unwavering in its commitment to integrity and accountability, asserting that the behavior displayed in the text messages does not represent the values of the broader force. Hearings before the Civil Service Board are expected to begin in the coming weeks.