Monroe: Police negotiated with protesters during DNC

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Rodney Monroe said he caught two hours of sleep most nights during the Democratic National Convention, taking naps on the couch of the his office at CMPD's uptown headquarters. 

After the final protest ended, Monroe, 55, says he hustled to Time Warner Cable arena to hear the final moments of President Barack Obama's acceptance speech.  

Monroe talked with the Observer about the department's handling of the convention -- and the hundreds of demonstrators who descended on the city last week. We wrote about Monroe's interactions with protesters on Saturday. 

Some quotes from the interview: 

The department has new resources: "When we went through identifying security-related resources that we were going to purchase, we were very mindful of trying to focus on those things that not only would help us in securing the convention, but would also be resources that we could use going forward, whether it's a camera system, whether it's a bicycle, whether it's the motorcycles that we were able to purchase." (The city received a $50 million federal grant that paid for the new equipment.) 

Monroe openly negotiated with protesters: "There were two things that we were very clear on. We clearly recognized their First Amendment right to demonstrate and we were looking to facilitate that whenever and however possible. And number two was that we weren't going to tolerate property damage or violence toward officers or others. So those were the two non-negotiating points. We made it clear that anything between that we were willing to have a discussion about.  

And there were a number of times when they wanted to go along a certain route and we would analyze that request. As long it didn't negatively affect either an event or a traffic pattern we were trying to maintain -- whether it was the delegate bus route or one of the dignitary escort routes -- we were willing to talk about it and make some kind of allowance. But we didn't want to come off as trying to hamper their ability to exercise their First Amendment rights."

Monroe slept on office couch, but managed to see part of Obama's speech:  "There were 24-hour-a-day events occurring that necessitated a response by a number of personnel.  I did take a couple naps on the couch, but I also had a place to stay nearby that allowed me to get at least two hours per night.  

After the last protest, I was able to get to the arena catch the last 15 minutes (of the president's speech)."  --Cleve R. Wootson Jr. 

Overcash named Concord's deputy chief of police

Concord police veteran Allen Overcash has been promoted to deputy chief of the police department, city officials announced Thursday.

Overcash has spent his entire law enforcement career with the Concord Police Department since becoming a patrol officer in 1983, officials said in a statement.

In 2003, after working in various roles in the department, he was promoted to major and supervised the department's first Special Investigations Unit, which was called on to investigate serious crimes, as well as unsolved homicides.

As deputy chief, Overcash will replace Guy Smith, who was promoted to police chief last year.

In his new role, Overcash will help with the overall operation of the department, and he'll also be involved in the development of the budget, policies and coordination with other agencies, officials said.

"I am extremely grateful for the opportunity I've been given in this great community and department," Overcash said in a statement.

Overcash graduated from Concord High School and then received his undergraduate and Master of Business Administration degrees from Pfeiffer University. He's a member of the Concord Rotary Club and Forest Hil United Methodist Church, where he works with youth.

"Deputy Chief Overcash will be an excellent addition to the Police Department's top management," said Assistant City Manager and former police chief Merl Hamilton. "He has a lengthy and varied career in law enforcement. The fact his career has been spent entirely in Concord, as has that of Chief Smith, makes the Police Department's commitment to this community even stronger."

Overcash will officially begin his new role on Sept. 3.

Concord Police Deputy Chief Allen Overcash

--Meghan Cooke

CMPD report: Crime up in 2012

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police on Wednesday released first-quarter crime statistics for 2012. And in a sharp contrast from the past three years, the crime index is up by 12 percent.

Click here to read the full report from police, including a breakdown of crimes by division.

Among the highlights:

-- There were 1,208 reported violent crimes from January to March, an increase of 23 percent over the first three months of 2011. 
-- Property crimes also were up in the first quarter, with 7,427 reported incidents versus 6,727 for the same period a year ago. 
-- Homicides doubled in the opening quarter, with 12 this year versus 6 this time last year. By comparison, there were 15 homicides in the final quarter of 2011, according to the report. 
-- Vehicle thefts are down nearly 12 percent. Through March, 397 of the thefts had been reported compared to 450 for this time last year

Whether the trend will continue for the rest of the year is left to be seen. Police said preliminary figures from the first three weeks of April has dropped the 2012 crime rate to some 7.8 percent.

--April Bethea
abethea@charlotteobserver.com

Astronaut Mark Kelly talks to Charlotte audience about space, wife Gabrielle Giffords, and perseverance

Astronaut Mark Kelly -- who became the center of international attention when his wife, former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, was shot in the head during a 2011 assassination attempt -- was the keynote speaker at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Foundation's annual luncheon.

The foundation raises money to fund police needs not included in the city's budget.

In remarks at the Westin Hotel that lasted about 45 minutes, Kelly touched on a number of subjects, from his wife's obsession with U2 lead singer Bono to the unpredictability of life.

On his wife: "She's doing well, she's in a good mood." He said Giffords goes through about six hours of physical therapy five days a week, and puts in extra work on weekends. At some point, Kelly said, Giffords plans to continue in public service, although they're not sure in what capacity.

He said the couple has been invited to the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte in September. She's capable of traveling, but the family doesn't know whether the convention will conflict with her rehabilitation schedule.

He said the shooting brought his family face-to-face with the unpredictability of life. "I'd flown into space and I'd flown 35 combat missions, but Gabby almost lost her life just doing her job," he said. "It's important for everyone to understand things can change for us in an instant."

On his arm: Kelly was wearing a sophisticated brace to immobilize his right arm. He said he had torn his bicep while using some of his daughter's pole-vaulting equipment. Kelly said he had pole-vaulted in high school. "I was telling my wife about how much my arm hurt," Kelly said. "She looked up from her fruit and yogurt and said 'You've gotta be kidding me.'"

Perseverance: The accomplished astronaut said at first he was a horrible pilot. When he first landed on an aircraft carrier, his instructor said "Are you sure this is for you?"

"How good you do at the beginning of anything you try is not an indication of how good you'll be if you don't give up," Kelly said.

Kelly said his wife teaches him lessons on perseverance. "She tells me each and every day to deny the acceptance of failure," he said. "This woman will not give up."

The final flight of the Space Shuttle Endeavor: Kelly was scheduled to command the final flight of the Space Shuttle Endeavor before Giffords was shot. "This was going to be the pinnacle of my career, and I told my boss, you've gotta replace me," he said. Giffords was ultimately moved to a rehabilitation facility in Houston, which allowed Kelly to continue training. "This was a controversial decision for me," he said. On the day Endeavor touched down, Kelly said, Giffords wasn't there as she usually was because she was having surgery.

-Cleve R. Wootson Jr.
Twitter: @CleveWootson
cwootson@charlotteobserver.com

Summoned to jury duty? There's an app for that.

Mecklenburg County residents summoned to serve on a jury can now access information about their duty online.

By visiting jury.mecklenburgcountync.gov, people can search for information by entering their juror ID number or Social Security number. The website allows them to confirm their juror status and date, request a deferral for duty and even create an email reminder. People using a smart phone will be automatically redirected to the county's mobile application.

Since the online jury management system was developed nearly a year ago, the county has received about 4,400 requests for deferral and more than 3,100 requests to be excused from duty through the website, officials said.

Court officials said they believe the app will reduce the costs and manpower needed to respond to mail and phone inquiries regarding jury duty.

This is the county's third mobile site. Mobile apps are also available to search arrests and warrants in the county.

--Meghan Cooke

In "suicide by cop" case, pull gun or Taser?

Gun or Taser?

That was a choice two police officers had to make in what Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police are calling an apparent “suicide-by-cop” attempt Tuesday night in northern Charlotte.

Police say the suicidal man, Fred Daye, claimed he was schizophrenic and told 911 dispatchers that he'd gone off his medication. When officers got there, Daye told the officers he wanted to die and that he wanted the officers to pull the trigger.

Officers told Daye to show his hands, but at some point, he reached into his jacket

What happened next will likely be mulled over by police officers and the general public for weeks, though officers point out that situations like this are almost always a split-second decision.

One officer shot his Taser at Daye and another fired his department-issued shotgun. The shotgun round struck Daye's left elbow, police said, but it's unclear whether he was struck by the pellet or the wadding from the round. Doctors described the man's injury as a "flesh wound."

Police are still investigating whether officers responded appropriately. “Those and other matters are being examined during these parallel investigations," CMPD spokesman Rob Tufano said. "We’re going to investigate this incident thoroughly before making any of those determinations.”

But, in a close reading of the police account, an officer could make a case for pulling either weapon. The police department has a use of force continuum, and officers are trained to respond with the appropriate amount of force for any given situation -- everything from verbal commands to firing a police-issued weapon.

CMPD's directives provide some insight into what an officer should do when faced with a threat. Often, using a particular type of force is not an "either-or" proposition. In fact, police say, an officer's professional presence and verbal commands are uses of force that are always present, even when other force is applied.

And one particular use of force, or weapon, can be used to de-escalate several types of conflicts. Pepper spray, for example, can be used to combat defensive resistance (like when a person won't move from a blocked sidewalk) or aggravated aggression (like when a suspect approaches an officer with a knife).

In a previous case where law enforcement officers applied different uses of force, one officer was fired. In 2008, Brian Howie was shot after he was confronted by officers at a gas station on Central Avenue. An officer reported he suspected Howie had been drinking and tried to hide drugs in his car, so the officer called for backup. Howie was also shocked with a Taser during the incident.

Jenny Curlee, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer who shot Howie, was fired after a review board found the shooting was unjustified. -- Cleve R. Wootson Jr.

Indictment spells out former officer's drug dealing arrest

Officers weren't surprised to find the drugs and the guns while searching an east Charlotte house at the tail end of a massive joint investigation.

But, police say, they were surprised to be arresting one of their own -- former police officer Theodore Kennedy.

Kennedy was arrested Monday at the tail end of a four-month investigation into suspected drug dealers using motels in northern Charlotte as a way station for crime.

Kennedy, who served as an officer from 1977 until 1993, is charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine. His wife, Roberta Kennedy, is also charged.

Little is known about Kennedy's time on the force. (In 1985, he shot a west Charlotte man in the mouth during stepped-up police activities after a shootout at Piedmont Courts. He wasn't charged with a crime.)

But the Kennedys alleged drug connections are spelled out in a federal indictment that was submitted on Monday.

On Monday morning, according to the indictment, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police officers were attempting to serve an arrest warrant on Kerwin Burke at 5042 The Plaza. (According to WCNC-TV, Burke is the boyfriend of Kennedy's daughter.) Officers figured Burke was at the home because his 1996 Chevy Caprice Classic was parked there.

But when officers knocked on the front door, they were met by Kennedy, according to the affidavit. His wife came to the door too and consented to officers searching the house.

When officers entered the couple's bedroom, they saw what appeared to be a mixture of crack and cocaine on the bed -- in all about 17.6 grams. Kennedy entered the bedroom and said "That's all hers."

Officers asked Kennedy if he had any guns or weapons inside the bedroom and he responded "Yeah, I have a couple."

Officers found seven guns scattered through the bedroom. They also found another baggie of cocaine in a dresser drawer. The drawer also contained "Kennedy's police identification from his previous service with CMPD."

Monroe said Kennedy's status as a former officer won't shield him.

"No one is immune from this," Monroe said at the news conference on Monday. "If you choose to engage in drug sales or gun-running in this community, you're a target." -- Cleve R. Wootson Jr.