Community members marched through northwest Charlotte to demand answers nearly a month after a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department officer shot and killed 47-year-old Curtis Jermaine Massey, chanting for the release of body-camera footage that could clarify what happened in his final moments. The demonstration carried marchers from a gas station near I-77 and LaSalle Street to CMPD's Metro Division office, with many believing Massey was shot in the back following a confrontation with police.
CMPD has said the shooting happened Sept. 18 in the 1300 block of LaSalle Street, when the department says Massey pulled out a gun during a short foot pursuit and was perceived as an imminent threat, prompting an officer to open fire, according to WSOC-TV. CMPD identified the man killed as 47-year-old Curtis Jermaine Massey, according to a separate WSOC-TV report, which also noted that during a short foot pursuit, the person allegedly pulled out a firearm before an officer fired.
That account has been directly challenged. Massey's family disputes the police narrative, claiming he would never threaten officers and alleging he was shot in the back, according to WCCB Charlotte. A witness identified as Shannon Haines told the station that Massey never touched the gun in his waistband and actually tripped and fell down as he was running away before the officer fired multiple rounds at him. A separate WCCB account says Massey fell and dropped a gun, then picked it up and continued running before turning his body toward officers — a version that differs sharply from what the family and witness described. The outlet's reporting is also inconsistent on where Massey died, with one account saying he was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead there.
Marchers Push CMPD Toward Transparency
Protesters called for transparency as they marched from the gas station along LaSalle Street and Beatties Ford Road to CMPD's Metro Division office, demanding the department immediately release body-camera footage showing the incident, per the same WSOC-TV report. The march reflects mounting pressure on CMPD at a moment when public trust in the department is already strained. CMPD has formally petitioned a judge for authorization to release the footage, and the station's report notes the department has not disclosed how long that process will take, even though such releases typically take time.
CMPD Chief Estella Patterson has said she personally reviewed the body-worn camera footage and believes it provides critical context, the station's report states. The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation is leading the probe into the shooting, while CMPD's Internal Affairs Bureau conducts its own separate review, and the officer involved remains on paid administrative leave. Under North Carolina law, as outlined by the North Carolina General Assembly, a court order is required before footage like this can be publicly released, a step distinct from simply disclosing a recording for private viewing.
Racist Text Scandal Looms Over the Protest
The racist text message scandal was also on the minds of marchers, according to WSOC-TV's reporting on the demonstration. That controversy involves alleged racist texts shared among a group of six CMPD officers, three of whom have resigned amid the investigation, according to ABC News. CMPD has said it will not tolerate any behavior that contradicts its core values or jeopardizes the trust it has built with the community it serves, the network reported.
The alleged messages surfaced as a byproduct of an unrelated SBI probe into a CMPD officer accused of misusing Flock license-plate-reader technology, the Charlotte Observer reported. CMPD has said it is auditing all the involved officers' body-worn camera footage as part of that inquiry, according to the same report. CMPD has released body-camera video from past officer-involved shootings before, including footage from a 2022 incident that the department made public in 2023, according to the City of Charlotte.
For now, Massey's family and the marchers who walked to CMPD headquarters are left waiting, with no timeline for when — or whether — a judge will authorize release of the footage that both sides say could settle what happened on LaSalle Street.
