CMPD names officers cited over 'racially charged' texts; one awaits Civil Service Board as ex-officer's Flock case remains pending

As of 9:10 a.m. ET, Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department on Monday publicly released personnel records naming the officers tied to what it called "racially charged text messages." Chief Estella Patterson has said the messages showed racial, sexual and religious biases. Five of the six officers cited for termination on Oct. 9 have now resigned in lieu of termination, according to CMPD. The sixth, Officer Jeremiah Todman, "remains suspended without pay pending Civil Service Board review," the department said.

When Patterson spoke publicly on Oct. 15, three of the officers had resigned. CMPD's records now list two more resignations: Mateo Juarez on Oct. 15 and Alexander Larsen on Oct. 19. A CMPD spokesperson confirmed the five resignations to ABC News.

None of the six has been criminally charged over the texts, according to available reporting.

The discipline track

According to CMPD's Oct. 19 release, each of the six was suspended without pay on Oct. 9 after being cited for termination. Joseph Kelly, hired Feb. 26, 2024, resigned Oct. 11. Matthew Osborn, hired Sept. 5, 2023, resigned Oct. 12. Tredan Maronic, hired Feb. 26, 2024, resigned Oct. 13. Mateo Juarez, hired Feb. 26, 2024, resigned Oct. 15. Alexander Larsen, hired June 26, 2023, resigned Oct. 19. Jeremiah Todman, hired June 27, 2022, remains suspended without pay pending Civil Service Board review.

CMPD said it released the records under the state personnel-records law, G.S. 160A-168(b), and "to address misinformation regarding the officers' names." It said state law bars it from releasing employees' race or ethnicity. A summary paragraph in the release says four of the six had resigned; the individual entries list five, and the entry for Larsen carries an Oct. 19 update noting his resignation.

Patterson cannot fire sworn officers on her own. She can recommend termination, but Charlotte's Civil Service Board has the final say, WFAE and Axios Charlotte reported. The city's board page lists hearings for employees "cited for termination by the Chief" among its duties. As of Tuesday morning, the only hearing posted there was a closed hearing on Sept. 23. GROKsiNEWS.com found no public hearing date for Todman and no public statement on whether he will contest the recommendation. Todman did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for comment.

Norman Garnes, a retired CMPD major and former board member, told WSOC-TV that if an officer challenges a termination recommendation, the board holds proceedings that function like a trial, with the department acting as the complainant. "We would sit for sometimes two or three days listening to evidence," he said.

CMPD has not released the texts. Patterson said an independent chain-of-command board unanimously cited the six for termination after a hearing. Describing reviews of the officers' traffic stops, arrest records and external complaints, she said, "As of this point, we have not found any evidence of this, but I have asked our federal partners to look at the possibility of civil rights violations." GROKsiNEWS.com found no public confirmation from any federal agency of a review. Patterson also said CMPD will seek revocation of the officers' state law-enforcement certificates.

The separate criminal case: Seth Elliott

The texts came to light through a separate state investigation. The N.C. State Bureau of Investigation confirmed to Spectrum News 1 that it collected data from former Officer Seth Elliott's phone and shared it with CMPD, which found the material. CMPD's Oct. 19 release says Elliott "was also involved in the text message matter." No charge against him over the texts has been reported; his only reported charge is in the separate Flock case.

The SBI arrested Elliott on July 29 "on a charge of illegally accessing a government computer in connection with the misuse of Flock technology," CMPD said. He resigned Aug. 4. The charge is a misdemeanor, WSOC-TV reported, and the Watauga Democrat reported it as a Class 1 misdemeanor. Spectrum News 1 reported that court records describe the charge as willfully failing to discharge his duties by accessing computers for an improper purpose.

According to a court affidavit described by Spectrum News 1 and WSOC-TV, Elliott is accused of looking up a license plate on June 16 in Flock and CJLEADS, a state criminal-justice database, at the request of a person under a Watauga County drug investigation, and relaying the result. The vehicle belonged to an undercover officer. The Watauga Democrat reported that, according to a search warrant, Elliott told the SBI he ran the plate for a college friend, who said someone had been hanging around his father's business. The paper reported that the warrant does not state that Elliott knew the plate belonged to an undercover officer.

Elliott was released on a $15,000 unsecured appearance bond with a first court date of Aug. 27, Spectrum reported. GROKsiNEWS.com could not confirm what happened on that date or when he is next due in court. ABC News reported it is unclear whether he has entered a plea. He has not been convicted. His attorney, George Laughrun, told WBTV on Oct. 12 that they had no comment other than that they were preparing for the criminal case. Laughrun did not immediately respond to ABC News on Monday.

Reaction

Mecklenburg County District Attorney Spencer Merriweather told WCNC, "The District Attorney's Office will not rely on any witnesses, police or otherwise, where there has been a demonstration of bias that would impact public safety, liberty, dignity." He said cases would be evaluated individually. "If those cases are viable in the absence of the officers or witnesses, then we will proceed forward. If not, then we won't," he said.

At an Oct. 16 news conference, Charlotte-Mecklenburg NAACP President the Rev. Corine Mack called for every officer involved to be decertified and for an FBI investigation, WCNC reported. "This can no longer be an internal investigation," Mack said. "It must be an external investigation, and if it is proven that there were civil and human rights violations, we want them to be placed in the same situation as any other person."

Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden, who spent nearly 40 years with CMPD before becoming sheriff, told WBTV he was bothered by the text messages but not shocked, the station reported. "I never want to speak against another officer, but I think the citizens need to understand that we have a problem," he said.