The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) has wrapped up its inquiry into the officer-involved shooting incident from May 14, with a Pineville police officer. According to the department's statement, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department's Homicide Unit, which carried out the investigation of any possible criminal elements of the incident, deemed the shooting justified, and hence, no charges will be filed against the officer.
During the incident on May 14, a sworn Pineville Police Department member engaged a suspect, 46-year-old Dennis Bodden, for allegedly shoplifting. The officer, who has not been named, reportedly felt an imminent deadly threat and discharged their weapon at Bodden. Suffering from the gunshot, Bodden received emergency medical treatment at the scene and was promptly transported to the hospital. Despite the efforts to save his life, he was later pronounced dead.
As outlined by a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department release, while the criminal investigation led by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department has concluded, the Pineville Police Department is conducting an internal investigation to scrutinize the protocol and procedures that were in place at the time of the shooting.
Consultations with the Mecklenburg County District Attorney’s Office have occurred, and they have concurred with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department's findings, signaling no further prosecutorial action on this matter. The result of this inquiry comes amidst ongoing discussions around police conduct and the use of lethal force. While the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department has closed its chapter on this case, the bereaved family and the community are left grappling with questions and the heavy toll of the fatal encounter.
