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CMPD Arrests Woman After Traffic Stop, Charlotte NAACP Calls Incident Harassment

Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office

CMPD said officers arrested a woman who refused to roll down her windows and exit her vehicle during a traffic stop in east Charlotte Friday night. Charlotte NAACP said in a statement to Spectrum News that it was a case of CMPD officers “escalating harassment” and “disrespect.”

According to a CMPD statement, officers attempted to stop 30-year-old Lameka Campbell’s car multiple times because she was driving with an unreadable tag. Campbell’s vehicle came to a stop on Central Avenue near 7th Street, outside of Uptown Charlotte. CMPD said officers smelled marijuana coming from inside Campbell’s car. When police approached the vehicle, CMPD said, she refused to roll down her window and talk to officers.

The altercation, which was filmed on Facebook live, lasted about 40 minutes and ended when officers broke Campbell’s car window and took her into custody.

Credit Meko Chosen / Facebook
An image from the Facebook live video of the incident.

The Facebook livevideo, which was filmed by a woman who said she’s Campbell’s mother in the video, has been viewed over 13,000 times and has almost 300 shares. It showed multiple officers surrounding Campbell’s vehicle, asking her to exit the car.

In the video, you hear an officer say to the woman filming, “Ma’am, here’s the reality though. We’re trying to be patient with her.”

In a statement, Charlotte NAACP said Campbell is “traumatized and petrified of CMPD.”

Charlotte NAACP said Campbell is the sister of Lareko Williams, a man who was killed after being tased by a CMPD officer in 2011. A jury ruled in 2014 that the officer used excessive force in Lareko Williams’ death.

"I was trying to come to an area that I felt that was well lit and secure to protect myself because I don't have any trust in any officers at all because of the fact of my brother,” Campbell told WSOC-TV.

CMPD said investigators found almost six grams of THC oil in the car and over six grams of marijuana in Campbell’s possession. She is facing drug and traffic charges, in addition to a charge for failing to heed emergency lights and sirens.

Jessa O’Connor was an assistant digital news editor and Sunday reporter for WFAE.