Latest news with #JusticeAcademy
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Yahoo
Attorney General Jeff Jackson holds ceremony to honor fallen officers
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCT) — Tuesday, May 6, 2025, Attorney General Jeff Jackson and the North Carolina Justice Academy honored North Carolina's fallen officers and their families at the 40th Peace Officers' Memorial Day Ceremony. This is an annual ceremony that pays tribute to officers who died in the line of duty last year as well as the family members of officers who died in service in previous years. 'These officers gave their life in service to this state and its people,' Attorney General Jeff Jackson said. 'I'm grateful to be able to have spent time with their families and their colleagues today to honor our fallen officers and to express our gratitude for the courage and sacrifice of every public safety officer. I thank the North Carolina Justice Academy and the Cabarrus County Sheriff's Office for hosting this moving memorial.' Russ Ferguson, United States Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, was the guest speaker for this year's ceremony. Ferguson was appointed by U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi in March 2025, and served as the chief federal law enforcement officer for 32 counties across western N.C., including the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. 'It is a privilege to spend time today doing publicly what we in law enforcement do every day – honor our fallen heroes who sacrificed their lives to protect others,' U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, Russ Ferguson said. 'We are so thankful for our brave law enforcement officers and their families for the risks they endure on a daily basis to protect our community.' The officers who died in service to the people of North Carolina last year were: Deputy Christopher Shayne Johnson, Harnett County Sheriff's Office. Investigator William Alden Elliott, North Carolina Department of Adult Correction. Officer Joshua Eyer, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. Investigator Samuel Poloche, North Carolina Department of Adult Correction. Deputy U.S. Marshal Thomas M. Weeks, U.S. Marshals Service. Major Michelle Lynn Quintero, Madison County Sheriff's Office. Deputy Charles James 'Jim' Lau, Macon County Sheriff's Office. Officer Michael Horan, Greensboro Police Department. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WNCT.
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Community activists in Greenville call for the city's police chief's resignation
Several Greenville community activists have called for the resignation of the city's police chief. During a press conference outside the Greenville City Public Safety Complex on April 18, Derrick Quarles, Bruce Wilson, and Paul Guy questioned how officers under internal investigation are allowed to quit and move to another agency, potentially creating future public safety issues. They also cited a lack of diversity within the department. In calling for Greenville Police Chief Howie Thompson's job, Quarles, who ran for Greenville County Council District 25 in 2024, said the chief isn't who the city needs to lead the department. "People call me from this agency all the time. They're sick and tired. Chief Thompson has got to resign," Quarles said. "He is not leading this agency effectively." Thompson declined to comment on the demand that he step aside or questions about officer resignations and the department's diversity. According to documents that show why officers left the department, at least four Greenville police officers resigned in 2022 while under an internal investigation. Those same officers joined other law enforcement agencies and received recommendations from police department officials. "This practice hides misconduct. It protects the careers of these officers, and it leaves our community exposed. It's not just negligence. This is unethical, and it's really dangerous," Quarles said. Quarles said it's an accountability issue and not an anti-police issue. "Time and time again, when an officer violates policy and breaks the law, they should not be allowed to resign and continue to work in law enforcement. They should be held accountable, just like any of us are," Quarles said. According to the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy, if an officer remains at the department during the internal investigation and is found guilty, the police agency must report the officer to the Justice Academy. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Training Council in Columbia would then judge the officer's case. More: Looking for an Easter egg hunt for the kids? Check out this list from Upstate communities If the Law Enforcement Council votes the officer guilty, the officer can no longer return to law enforcement. Wilson, another community activist who spoke during the press conference, said that officers who are allowed to do wrong will continue to do so if they are not reprimanded. "It creates an unsafe neighborhood for all of us," he said. The group also said the Greenville Police Department needs to do better in terms of having a diverse police force. In 2021, data obtained by The Greenville News through the Freedom of Information Act and the latest data available, the department was 87.5% white, 7.2% Black, 3.8% Hispanic, and 1.4% Asian, American Indian or native Alaskan. The city's population is about 20.5% Black, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Wilson said if law enforcement wants a good relationship with the community, its staff must mirror the people they protect. "Having an individual that looks like you, having an individual that you can have a dialogue with, it is beneficial. It's helpful," Wilson said. He further criticized the police department and said they're not making an effort to consider Black job candidates. "We're not saying that you should hire just anybody because they're African American or Black," Wilson said. "You hire people that are qualified. What we're saying the problem is you're not even looking, you're not even trying, you're not making the attempt. There are a host of people that look like me, that are qualified." This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Greenville activists criticize city's police; call for chief to quit
