‘Absolutely unacceptable’: CMPD Chief records video voicing displeasure over bond amount given to man accused of shooting officer
Jennings opens the three-and-a-half-minute video, immediately addressing recent violence toward CMPD officers.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - In an unlisted video posted to YouTube Wednesday, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Chief Johnny Jennings voiced his displeasure over the bond amount given to a man suspected of shooting a CMPD officer early Tuesday morning.
Jennings opens the three-and-a-half-minute video, immediately addressing recent violence toward CMPD officers.
“As all of you are aware, in a six-day timeframe, we’ve had three incidents where officers were shot at by suspects,” said Jennings.
Suspect in NoDa shooting that injured police officer arrested
The incident happened in the NoDa community around 2:30 a.m. Tuesday. Investigators said they were responding to a call about an issue involving a patron at The Blind Pig, a popular neighborhood bar.
Police said a man, Toddrick McFadden, then began to fire shots into the bar and outside of it and hit an officer in the leg. The officer was taken to the hospital but is expected to be okay, according to police.
In the YouTube video, Jennings praises the work of the detectives and officers who were at the scene of the shooting. He then he shifts the focus of his message to the alleged shooter, McFadden.
“When I woke up this morning, I was astonished to see the bond results for Toddrick McFadden,” said Jennings.
The police chief then begins to explain the charges against McFadden, noting that the suspected shooter has been charged with two counts of attempted first-degree murder, two counts of assault on a law enforcement officer with a firearm, and one count of discharging a firearm into occupied property.
Jennings notes that McFadden was given a total bond of $170,000 and calls the bond ‘absolutely unacceptable’.
“I may be missing something, but your lives are worth a whole lot more than $17,000 to let someone back out on the streets. So I’m going to do everything that I can to continue these discussions with the magistrate’s office and to ensure that this thing does not happen again,” said the chief. “I want everyone to know and be certain that I stand with you. I feel what you feel when you see these things come out and I have a platform to at least try and address it and I commit to you that I will continue to do that.”
Dan Redford, the president of the local Fraternal Order of Police lodge, an organization of cops representing cops, spoke to WBTV in a Zoom interview Wednesday night. Redford, who is also a law enforcement officer, said he and other local officers were pleased to see the message from the chief.
The FOP president said he is hopeful the video can help spark change within the judicial system.
“I hope that it does because that’s the only way this court system, and the people in charge of this court system, are gonna change is by public humiliation and it’s unfortunate we have to get there, but people are literally being murdered in the streets of Charlotte,” explained Redford.
WBTV reached out to Mecklenburg County Chief District Court Judge Elizabeth Trosch via email for comment on Jennings’ video message. If a response is received, it will be added to this story.
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