5 Things to Know: Local Leaders Respond to FOP’s National Guard Request

Local Leaders Respond to FOP’s National Guard Request

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge #9, a union representing local police officers that does not speak for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department itself, released a formal notice on Thursday calling for Mayor Vi Lyles and Gov. Josh Stein to request federal law enforcement help, including the National Guard, in Charlotte.

The letter, posted to the union’s social media platforms, claims that a staffing shortage at CMPD has led to a “violence crisis” in Charlotte, citing the Aug. 22 murder of Iryna Zarutska on a Blue Line car and the 15 murders that have occurred in the city since then.

The letter acknowledges that CMPD’s mid-year report shows a downward trend in violent crime in Charlotte, stating, “Despite statistical progress, violent crime continues to be a daily reality in Charlotte.” The letter also cites a triple-digit increase in homicides in the Uptown area, where high-profile crimes have garnered responses from residents and city leaders alike throughout the year.

As of Oct. 4, Queen City Nerve has tracked 73 murders within Charlotte this year, a significant drop from the 97 we had tracked at the same time last year. Our numbers, though mapped directly from homicide reports published by the CMPD Newsroom, sometimes differs from the department as we include police killings and “justified” homicides in our tally.

In Uptown, we’ve tracked seven homicides that have occurred inside the I-277 loop this year compared to four during all of last year. On Wednesday, a 16-year-old boy was shot and killed during an apparent gun deal gone wrong in a parking garage at the Metropolitan shopping complex in Midtown, which is located just outside of Uptown but is still part of CMPD’s Central Division.

In the map above showing homicides that have occurred in Charlotte this year, black markers signify deaths by gun violence, green markers signify killings that may be deemed justified, red markers signify stabbings, yellow markers signify murder by vehicle, purple markers signify deaths by trauma or unknown cause, and blue markers signify police killings.

Though the FOP has no authority to make such a request of President Donald Trump, the organization’s letter did garner responses from a number of local leaders, including US Rep. Alma Adams, who on Thursday called the request “unnecessary.”

“Consistent public safety improvements in Charlotte by the Mayor and City Council have led to a significant reduction in violent crime and homicides in 2025,” Adams wrote. “I am confident that Mayor Lyles’ and the Charlotte City Council’s work with Governor Stein and the White House to meet all security and safety standards for the city is appropriate and underway, and I support their collaborative efforts to provide for public safety in Charlotte.”

Charlotte City Council member Malcolm Graham shared similar thoughts in a Twitter response to WSOC’s Joe Bruno when he wrote, “The last thing the city of Charlotte needs is the National Guard on the streets. As a local community we must block out the outside noise and do the work to ensure all citizens feel safe and secure. Window dressing won’t do it!”

LaWana Mayfield has addressed the FOP’s request in perhaps the strongest terms, publicly posting a back-and-forth she had with the FOP Lodge 9’s President Daniel Redford.

After Mayfield responded to the original letter stating she does not want National Guard coming to Charlotte and “potentially targeting residents as they are doing in Charlotte,” Redford shot back that he would expect nothing less because “You called cops terrorists so…” He was referring to a 2018 tweet from Mayfield that read, “Being Black in America under #45 (Donald Trump) has created homegrown terrorist wearing blue uniforms.”

Mayfield responded to Redford again on Friday, writing, “I am glad we are on the same page as your history of FOP is based on racist policies and its creation after the end of slavery and you all continue to support racist practices in regard to the health and well being of non-white or those who identify as white persons. Also, You all showed little to NO concern to the family of the Non-white bus driver Mr. Ethan Rivera who was killed while doing his job or any of the other non-white residents who have been assaulted or murdered along CATS bus or rail.”

Brooks’ Sandwich House to Temporarily Close During Murder Trial

Almost six years after the tragic murder of Brooks’ Sandwich House co-owner Scott Brooks, a trial date has been set to try his alleged killers. The restaurant will close during the trial, Scott’s twin brother and co-owner David Brooks announced via Facebook on Wednesday.

“The last almost six years have felt frozen in grief since the death of my twin, Scott. The time for justice has finally come,” David said in an open letter addressed to friends, family, customers, neighbors and the community. “We will share further updates on the restaurant closing for the trial after October 6, once we receive more clarified information from the DA. Updates will also be posted here on Facebook and Instagram throughout the trial.”

Steven Staples and Terry Connor Jr., the two men charged with killing co-owner Scott Brooks in December 2019, are both scheduled to stand trial beginning Oct. 27. Brooks was shot and killed while preparing to open the restaurant in December 2019.

Staples is an alleged spree killer, believed to be responsible for five murders in a two-month span between December 2019 and January 2020. Neither suspect will face the death penalty in connection with the Brooks case.

“We don’t know all the trial details yet, but I ask for your prayers and all of your support, and I welcome anyone from the community to come to the courthouse and stand with us during this time,” David said in the post. “It has been far too long, and your presence would mean everything to me and my family. We want to sincerely thank the community for supporting us and standing by us through these past years. Your strength and love have carried us.”

NCGA Republicans Unable to Remedy Medicaid Cuts

Cuts to Medicaid reimbursement rates took effect statewide on Wednesday, slashing reimbursement rates for providers of services such as speech therapy, child development programs and care management services by 3-10%, affecting more than 3 million Medicaid recipients across North Carolina.

House Speaker Destin Hall and Senate Majority Leader Phil Berger, both Republicans, had previously agreed on the amount needed to prevent Medicaid rate cuts in North Carolina, though infighting prevented them from coming to any agreement on a solution.

“The General Assembly has spent the last week at home instead of working to pass a bill to fully fund Medicaid and prevent the rate cuts that had to go into effect this morning,” read a statement from NC Democratic Party Chair Anderson Clayton on Wednesday.

“Last month, Republican leadership came to an agreement on the exact dollar figure needed but let petty political fights stop them from ensuring that the millions of North Carolinians that rely on Medicaid don’t face disruptions to their healthcare,” Clayton continued. “No political fight can be this important. The General Assembly needs to pass a real budget that fully funds Medicaid now.”

Stowaway Found Dead on Plane After Arriving from Europe

CMPD on Sunday announced that the body of a person who had stowed away on a plane from Europe was found on a plane after its arrival at Charlotte Douglas International Airport earlier that morning. According to a release from the department, a worker doing maintenance on the plane found the body at around 9 a.m. Sunday morning.

The person’s body was reportedly found in the landing gear compartment of an American Airlines plane. Officers with CMPD’s Airport Division pronounced the person dead. It’s unclear where exactly the person came from as no further details have been released at the time of this writing.

Former Westmoreland Dairy Farm Sells to Shea Homes

The Westmoreland Dairy Farm, the last operational dairy farm in Mecklenburg County, has sold to Shea Homes, which plans to turn the 200-acre property into a residential development, according to a release on Friday.

The site had previously been slated for the controversial $800-million mixed-used Lagoona Bay Beach Club community, though fervent opposition from neighbors led to developers pulling the plan after introducing a number of iterations.

The farm opened in the early 20th century and had shifted its focus from cotton to dairy around the 1950s. Rising costs for farmers made operations at Westmoreland unsustainable.

While details of the community are still being finalized, plans are expected to include higher-end single-family homes, with some projected to reach values above $1 million, according to Friday’s release.

“We hope that many new families will embrace the history of living on a property with rich agricultural history and that Shea Homes will honor the heritage and beauty of this land as we did,” stated a representative for the Westmoreland family.