Put your hand behind your back. >> Back up. >> Back up. Back up. >> What the >> punch me in my face? >> You punched me in the face. >> But he drew back and took his fist and punched her in the face and knocked her in the face. On November 13th, 2023, just after noon, Charlotte Meckllinburgg Police Department officers patrolling the Steel Creek Division noticed two individuals, Anthony Lee and Christina Pierre, sitting at a city bus stop appearing to smoke an unknown substance. Initially, they drove past without concern, but the strong odor of the smoke prompted them to turn around and investigate further. >> What's up, guys? Hanging out. We just got off of work. >> Huh? >> We just got off of work. What did we do wrong? >> Well, I smell like you smoking weed. >> Well, this is stuff from the from the store. There's something in the store. It's THCA. >> Are you smoking weed? You guys smell weed? >> It's coming from the store. You want it from the store? >> I can smell it coming from that. So, >> you got it from the smoke shops. >> Okay. Well, go ahead. I'LL BRING MINE BACK. >> WHOA. WHOA. WHOA. WHAT ARE YOU DOING? >> WHAT ARE you doing? >> What are you doing? Give my I just want MY >> STOP. We just got >> Stop. Stop right now. Wait. >> You're being detained. >> Why am I BEING DETAINED? >> I'M GETTING DETAINED. >> I JUST TOLD YOU that they >> You're getting detained. You're getting detained. >> Why am I being detained? >> Turn around now. >> Turn around. You got to get detained. Do you hear me? >> Why am I being detained? You're getting detained. We're going to search you. Stop. Stop right there. Stop. Stop. Get on the ground. >> Get on the ground now. >> Hey, we're fighting. We are fighting one. >> We are not. You're not fighting me. You're lying. >> Stop. Put your hands behind your back now. >> Put your hands behind your back. >> You're lying. >> Put my hand. >> Stop. Put your hands behind your back. >> STOP. STOP. HEY, STOP. >> HEY, STOP REACHING FOR THE BACK. STOP REACHING FOR THE BACK. REACHING FOR NOTHING. >> STOP REACHING FOR THE BACK. >> I'M NOT REACHING FOR ANYTHING. >> Oh my god. >> Stop resisting. >> Stop resisting. Stop resisting. Stop. >> He's got a back. He's got a sling back. >> Resisting. >> I got this hand. I got this hand. >> Help him. Go help him. >> Stop resisting. >> BACK UP NOW. >> HEY, BACK UP. BACK UP NOW. I'M TELLING YOU. BACK UP OR I'M PUTTING YOU IN HANDCUFFS. BACK UP. BACK UP. GO STAND over there. >> No. >> Ma'am, put your hands behind your back. >> Stop reaching and put your hands behind your back. Stop reaching and put your hands behind your back. >> Damn. I'm telling you right now. >> Put your hands behind your back. >> Put your hands behind your back. >> Put your hands behind your back. Start striking. Watch out. >> Put your hands behind. >> PUT YOUR HANDS BEHIND YOUR BACK. >> I got it. Put your hands behind your back. >> Put your hands behind your back. >> Back up. >> WAY OVER THERE. >> STOP RESISTING. >> Put your hand behind your back. >> All right. She's 72. >> 72. One time. Back off. >> What did I reach? >> You got something in her waistband. >> NO, I DON'T. STOP. STOP. I DON'T >> STOP MOVING. >> STOP. [screaming] Why you fire? >> No. No. >> Why are you trusting me? >> It's not a firearm. >> I don't have anything. >> Stop. What? >> Oh my god. Step over here, >> ma'am. Step right here and stand up. >> What did I do? >> Trying to trying to blow up me, bro. >> What's going on? >> I don't know. Can you get me something? right now. I'm going to need you to calm down. No, we're not. We're at where we're at right now. But they're picking me up. I'm trying to Bro, >> yeah, because you're you're kicking and whatnot. >> No, I just >> Okay, I need you to calm down. Talk to me. Look at me. Look at me. >> They were both smoking weed >> at the bench. So, put him. She immediately started fighting. >> Yeah. >> She punched me in my face. >> So, I struck her back. >> But then, uh then he he started fighting Wilson. That's fighting me. So >> got my arms are hurting, bro. >> They're holding my arms crazy. Kick the toe. Where's that handcuffs? They already got me. What are you doing? I'm not kicking. I just don't want my legs restrained, bro. Bro, because my legs are getting they're holding my legs. You already shake my waist, man. But go ahead. Go. So take off my pants, man. Take off my whole pants. I have nothing. >> I just got out of work. >> What the punch me in my face? >> You punched me in my face. >> That's not even going to get away with it cuz you're a police officer. I can see a gun, >> bro. I didn't EVEN HIT MY JACKET. I JUST HELD THAT [ __ ] WHAT the >> What the is going on, bro? I don't have much pockets. You've been checking me so many times. >> Yeah, because you assaulted AN OFFICER. >> YOU ASSAULTED ME as an innocent person. >> And y'all think y'all good? >> Screaming at me. So, we're gonna spin this way. Here we go. >> What did I do? What did I do? What did I do? WHAT DID I DO? WHAT DID I [screaming] DO? OW. OKAY. My feet in my feet. HE'S JUST PULLING MY ARMS. WAIT, LET ME I CAN HOIST MYSELF UP. >> I GOT YOU. He's holding my arms. Wait, >> let me ho hoist myself up. And can you let go of my feet? Cuz I can't do it. Can you let go of my feet? >> My arm. >> Just slide in, >> bro. Y'all got my feet tied so crazy. [clears throat] The ow ow ow ow ow OW OW [screaming] OW OW OW. OKAY. OKAY, I just need TO GET UP ON MY OWN. GOD, I'M GETTING INSIDE. I'M GETTING INSIDE. GOSH. >> Lift your leg up, >> ma'am. Lift your left leg up. >> Lift lift your leg off of me, bro. >> While officers attempted to detain the pair, both resisted arrest. During the struggle, Pierre struck an officer multiple times while Lee repeatedly reached toward his waistband, raising immediate concern that he might be armed. This prompted officers to use physical control techniques to subdue both individuals and prevent further escalation. >> They take down real quick. >> My chest hurts. I've been up since 3:00 in the morning. I was grabbing the beer necessarily grabbing the throat. So, my throat hurts. My chest hurts and my back hurts. All right. How do y'all want to proceed? Do you want him to go to the hospital or >> That'll be up to him. >> Okay. You want to go? >> He's going to jail either way. So, >> good gracious. >> I understand what I'm going to jail. How long am I going to jail for? >> I don't know. So, a small claims judge called a match will decide that when you get downtown, >> do I have to speak to a a lawyer or somebody or >> Yeah, absolutely. You can call a lawyer as soon as you're done with all this process. >> You're going to jail regardless. Um, so >> how long will I in jail? >> I don't know. I don't decide that. >> The small claims judge does. They're called magistr. >> So I present the charges to them. Then they tell you what your terms and conditions really sharp my charges >> right now. Resisting and can't get done. >> How was I arrested? I'm not understanding the situation. >> Well, I told you you were being detained. So >> for what though? You got to tell me. >> No, I don't. Actually, I don't. >> Yes, you do. You're supposed to be a peacemaker. You're not supposed to be. >> So I I've explained to you your charges. All right. >> They just left work. >> She flushed out his in her face. They just left work. What happened? They was just Yeah, they just left work. From my understanding, they just work. They got to work with you. Their mom. I'm the manager for the night. >> Okay. >> They said they they just walked up and asked if they were smoking, but they weren't. like they just got off work. They weren't smoking weed or anything and then they went and they took them and put them on the ground and that one officer punched her in the face for what reason? Trying to say they were resisting. >> I mean, I don't know why he punched her. I sat there and watched cuz she was resisting. She was fighting like but he drove back and took his fist and punched her in the face and knocked her. >> They were just putting her in the cops were on top of her. There were 10 cops on top of her and the one over there had his knee and he was beating beating as hard as he could and I was screaming, "Please quit kneeing her. Please quit knee and her." >> They literally just >> He was beating that. They were beating the hell out of that girl. >> Okay. >> And I mean, I'm sorry. She might have been resisting. She didn't deserve that. That was a feeling. And I mean, they they were both fighting. I mean, they were both outdone and want to know what was going on because the police officers weren't giving them a whole lot of information. Don't blame them. you know, if you're going to be arrested, tell me why. If I'm not, you know, this it's wrong. Don't put me in handcuffs without telling me why. And they didn't tell them why. >> And so, uh, she was scrapping and she told him, she said, "You're not going to make me a statistic." And, um, like I said, they were scrapping back and forth and he drew back. He took his fist and drew back and punched her upside for her face. Okay. She hit the ground and started screaming, "I can't believe it. You punched me. You punched me." They couldn't get her to calm down. They couldn't get him to calm down. All these other police officers started rushing up. So then they all come out and like six of them dive on her at one time. Steady got a knee kneeing her just kneing her just as hard as they can near her. And I'm sitting here screaming, "Please stop doing that. Stop. Stop doing that to her." Kneeing her just as hard. They They had her down. Hell, she couldn't get up. Kneeing her just as hard as they can. Had another one over there punching her. I mean, there was one punching her and there was one knee in her while they had her on the ground. And that, like I told one of them, was the biggest display of disrespect from Charlotte police officers that I could ever imagine. That was a female, >> not even a large female, questioning why they were doing her like they were. He punched her and she was punched again on the ground and she was repeatedly kne repeatedly after we stood up here begging. Yes, I realize she was resisting arrest, but what was done to that girl? I don't care if she was smoking crack on the streets. >> What was done to her was completely uncalled for and I'll go to court and testify for it. >> Okay. All right. Anything else? >> That's it. But what they did to her was wrong. >> All right. Well, thank you for staying. Okay. >> Uh-huh. >> Nearby witnesses observed the physical struggle unfold with the officer striking back in self-defense after being punched by Pierre. The officer also applied compliance strikes to her legs to bring her under control. All actions were conducted within the scope of his authority and aligned with CMPD policy for handling violent or actively resisting suspects. >> I'll walk you inside. I'm going to get the [ __ ] off you. All right. Bro, this slipped off of me. I swear this slipped off of me when I was being pulled inside the car. So, please don't hurt me or nothing. >> Just don't give me Don't give me a hard time. >> And I'm not I'm not going to put it back on you. I got you. >> I'm just scared to be touched again. I'm stuck, bro. Oh my god. Can I Can I have some shoes or something? >> So So let me get you inside. We're going to have a seat. I'll get you some water. >> You broke my glasses, bro. I can't even eat properly. I broke my glasses. Oh, y'all doing so much damage and don't pay for nothing. And I got [ __ ] PUNCHED IN MY FACE BY ONE OF Y'ALL, SON. And y'all don't get to keep y'all jobs. That's not fair. THAT [ __ ] HURTS HAVING FIVE GIRLS men put they knees all over me. OW. AND THEY TALK ABOUT THAT I'M [laughter] HEAVY. >> I'M GOING TO WALK INTO the store right here. >> I'M SORRY. MY ARM IS KILLING ME. Y'ALL DONE VIOLATED ME, BRO. >> I'LL GET YOU medic over here to take your arm. All right. I don't know what the I did. Yeah, arrested me for what? I just got off a word. What the >> Bro, I don't even know why I'm here. I don't even live in Charlotte for more than two for more than three months. >> I've only been [laughter] HERE SINCE SEPTEMBER. WHAT THE DID I DO? >> LET ME GET THIS OFF CUZ THIS looks pretty tight on you. All right. >> THE OTHER GUY PUT YOUNG AND PULLING ME OUT OF MY WRIST. WHAT THE AM I DOING, FROG? Am I an animal? >> Let me get this OFF YOU. >> MYING ANIMAL, BRO. What the hell? I JUST GOT OFF OF WORK. I JUST DID MY LAUNDRY. Y'all got my dirty. Y'all got my face all sit there and pull me the way for you. >> Oh, THAT'S CRAZY. Y'ALL SO RACIST DOWN HERE. Y so racist down here. What [snorts] the DID I DO? [screaming] [gasps] WHAT DID I DO? [laughter] What did I do? [cough] >> WHAT THE DID I DO? WHAT DID I DO? [screaming] I WANT MY HUSBAND. [clears throat] I want my husband. [gasps] I want my husband. [laughter] >> [cough and clears throat] [laughter] >> When the suspects were brought to the station, officers discovered a loaded firearm inside Lee's bag. During questioning, both admitted to smoking marijuana, but claimed they were unaware it was illegal. Under North Carolina law, marijuana remains prohibited for both recreational and medical use. Possession of any amount is a class 3 misdemeanor, punishable by fines and possible jail time. >> I JUST GOT OFF OF WORK. I just got OFF [screaming] OF WORK. WHY AM I ARRESTED WITH NO PROBABLE CAUSE? THERE'S NO REASON NO RIGHTS TO ME BEFORE Y ARRESTED ME. Y DIDN'T READ NO RIGHTS TO ME. >> [laughter] >> Why am I HERE? [screaming] I want my eyes. [gasps] I SWEAR TO GOD. HE BETTER [clears throat] BE OKAY. HE BETTER be okay. [laughter] BRO, WHY THE AM I IN HERE, BRO? Why am I IN HERE? GET ME [screaming] OUT OF HERE. SOMEBODY TELL ME SOMETHING, BRO. TELL ME SOMETHING. WHY AM I IN [screaming] HERE? BRO, >> I GOT I GOT >> WHY am I here? >> I don't I don't know. I just I just Where's my husband? >> He's on the way over here, too. >> DID Y'ALL HURT HIM? Did y'all shoot him? Did y'all do anything to hurt him? >> Why am I in here? Why am I on his way over here? Can my foot be uncuffed? >> No, it has to stay cuffed. I got I got medic on the way to check you out, >> bro. >> Make sure you're good. >> Why the am I BEING ARRESTED? I JUST GOT OFF OF WORK. I DON'T HAVE ON ME. Y'ALL DONE TOUCHED ME UP AND SAW NOTHING. [screaming] Y'ALL SAW NOTHING ON ME. DO I HAVE TO TAKE OFF ALL MY CLOTHES? >> YOU DON'T GOT TO DO THAT, >> BRO. WHY AM I IN HERE THEN? I DON'T EVEN I HAVE NOT BEEN IN CHARLOTTE FOR MORE THAN 3 MONTHS. I JUST GOT HERE. >> WOULD YOU LIKE A CUP OF WATER? >> SURE. Why not? YOU KNOW WHAT? THAT'S THE BEST THING THAT CAN HAPPEN FOR RIGHT NOW. CUZ I NEED TO WASH MY FACE AFTER BEING DRAGGED ON THE GROUND BY YOUR MEN, BY YOUR FRIENDS. >> OKAY. >> WHAT THE Y'ALL GET PAID TO DO THIS? I DIDN'T GET NO MIRANDA RIGHTS, NOTHING. NOBODY TOLD ME WHY I'M GETTING ARRESTED. NOBODY TOLD ME WHY I'M GETTING ARRESTED. WHY? Why do >> I were detained in this cuz you smoked me. Yes, I did have a firearm on me, but I wasn't posing no threat because if I wanted to shoot somebody, I would have. The thing about that was I had a firearm. I found it. I'm in a new city AND I'M PROTECTING MYSELF, BUT I HAVE no it's my it's my constitutional right to tell you that do do you understand what your job really is? Because honestly, I'm going to No, no, no. So, you said you said misdemeanor. That's right. So are they they're they're nonviolent because I I I have witnesses with my co-workers watching for new violent. I already told you your charges to make sure because you saying that we were fighting. So I'm trying to make sure you're not getting making any false accusations about me cuz I did not put not one hand on an officer. >> I I never said that. So >> I just told you you've already been Well, you're going to sit here and wait till we finish the paperwork. Okay. Um, I recommend to you when you get out to uh educate yourself on the laws of North Carolina and carry a firearm. Listen, listen. You have a great corporations. You're not a peacekeeper. The person is following your oath. You're not following your oath. You are any other city cop. >> Subsequent testing of the partially smoked cigarette and a sandwich bag containing an unknown substance confirmed the presence of marijuana, supporting the officer's initial suspicions. So the reason you're being arrested today, officer said they got out with you because you guys were smoking marijuana. They approached both you guys. They were trying to detain him. You started to get involved with that. He attempted to detain you and you swung at him twice, which we have it on camera. Then he swung back at you. They took you to the ground were trying to get you detained and you kept reaching. They kept telling you to stop reaching. And that's when they started >> reaching for what though? >> I don't know. I wasn't there. I'm just telling. >> Bro, the only thing I had if if they saw me reaching for anything was my glasses, which they broke. [laughter] I DON'T HAVE NO GLASSES NO MORE. SO, THE ONLY THING I HAD IN which they kept touching everything over here was my glasses. >> The one [clears throat] thing I'll explain to you from a law enforcement standpoint, people hide guns around their waist. >> Bro, they already checked MY POCKETS AND EVERYTHING. THEY PUT THEIR HANDS in my pants already for THEM TO CHECK MY POCKETS EMPTY multiple times. Look at MY PANTS. I HAVE NOTHING. AND I DON'T HAVE NO GUN. DO YOU SEE ANYTHING BULKY ON ME? IF THERE'S ANYTHING bulk in my stomach cuz I'm fat, MY I DON'T HAVE [laughter] anything on me. DOES IT LOOK LIKE I HAVE A BULKINESS LIKE YOU DO, MY COME ON. THAT'S THE CRAZY PART. Y'all be listening to these MOTHER AND NOT LISTENING TO THE TRUTH. WE JUST CAME OUT OF WORK AND IT DOESN'T MATTER IF WE'RE SMOKING WEED, BRO. WE DIDN'T DO NOTHING WRONG. WE GOT FROM A SMOKE SHOP AND Y'ALL HAVE SMOKE SHOPS. WHAT'S THE POINT OF HAVING SMOKE SHOPS IF A MOTHER CAN'T SMOKE AND I COME FROM NEW YORK WHERE THAT IS LEGAL? SO, I'M SORRY THAT I SEE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE IT AND DO THE SAME THING THAT I DID FROM NEW YORK. I JUST GOT HERE. Y'ALL GET THE COLORED MAN TO COME AND SPEAK TO ME. Y'ALL GET THE BLACK GUY TO COME AND SPEAK TO ME BECAUSE Y'ALL THINK THAT THAT OH, SHE'S A colored so we're GOING TO GET ANOTHER COLORED TO COME AND SPEAK TO HER. Let speak to right. LET SPEAK TO A RIGHT CUZ THAT'S HOW Y'ALL THINK. THAT'S WHAT Y'ALL DO EVERY DAY. PUT US AGAINST EACH OTHER. Now I CAN'T EVEN LOOK AT MY OWN MY OWN SKIN COMPLEXION, MY OWN COLOR BROTHER TO TO EVEN SAY THAT HE'S A BROTHER. HE'S NOT NO BROTHER. >> Just like y'all. HE'S AS WORSE AS Y'ALL. Y'ALL HARASS PEOPLE FOR PAYCHECK. Y'ALL THINK Y'ALL BEING A COP IS WHO you are, bro. It is not. It's a paycheck by this worthless government. [snorts] Worthless government. That's a stand still. Satan is y'all leader, bro. Lucifer is Y'ALL LEADER, BRO. Y'ALL PRAISE LUCIFER, BRO. Y'ALL PRAISE THE DEVIL, BRO. Y'ALL PRAISE HIM. Y'ALL ARE ALL SIX ETHER BEINGS. SEE, I PRAISE THE DEVIL. Y'ALL PRAISE HIM. Y'ALL ARE DE Y'ALL THE DEVIL'S Y'ALL LUCIFER'S KIDS. Both suspects were arrested and formally charged. Lee with carrying a concealed firearm, resisting arrest and marijuana possession, and Pierre with assault on a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest and marijuana possession. The incident captured on bodywn cameras and released by court order remains under internal investigation while the CMPD has initiated a series of community meetings to review and discuss its response to resistance policies and ensure transparency in enforcement practices. And that's how a quiet afternoon at a bus stop turned into a full-blown arrest. What do you think? Were the officers right to use force once things got physical, or could this have been handled differently? And should ignorance of the law ever be a valid excuse when it comes to marijuana possession? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. And [music] don't forget to like, subscribe, and stay tuned for more real incidents that start ordinary but never end that way. [music]