Charlotte Sees Rise in Violent Crime in 2015

From http://www.wcnc.com by Glen Counts, January 27, 2016

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police released their end of the year crime stats for 2015 on Wednesday morning.

It was a report card that was expected to be poor, showing a dramatic increase in violent crime.

“Unfortunately we didn’t get the impact on the overall crime rate we would have liked,” said Chief Kerr Putney.

Cheif Putney delivered the bad news and didn’t make any excuses.

Homicide was up 36%, robbery 22%, rape 11%, and overall violent crime increased 18%.

“It’s difficult, we get the environment, but I think Charlotte is better than that– we need to get our people who witness, who see some of these criminal activities to cooperate.”

Putney was not surprised by any of those numbers, but the one stat that caught his attention was a dramatic rise in home invasions.

There were 156 last year– an increase of 46%; police say 51% of those were drug related.

“It takes a brazen kind of person to go into a home that he suspects is occupied and be armed and encounter people with the intent of robbing them,” said Putney.

He hopes the increase does not overshadow the work officers are doing. He says they have been aggressive and cites the number of citizen contacts as proof. In 2012 there were 42,000, and by 2015 that number nearly doubled to 81,000.

“I want to talk about the work, because if you look at the numbers, I know a lot of people might think our officers have not been as proactive as they should be, I vehemently dispute that our officers have been as proactive as ever,” said Putney.

He has asked for more officers, and City Council members are considering that request. In the short term Putney says he intends to measure progress neighborhood by neighborhood.

“I am looking at how we spot reduce in areas that are hotspots, chronic hot spots, because I’m not just looking for crime fighters, I’m looking for people who solve problems.”

Charlotte Man Wanted in Connection to Eastern NC Murder

From http://www.wcnc.com, January 28, 2016

Scotland Neck Police are searching for two suspects wanted in connection with the shooting death of a man in Scotland Neck.

Tyquan Ramont Powell of Charlotte and Lamonte Kentrell Lloyd of Scotland Neck are both wanted for murder and other related charges.

Jimmy R. Daniels, 24, of Scotland Neck, was shot Tuesday evening as he sat in a vehicle near the intersection of Grace and 11th street in Scotland Neck. Two other passengers in the vehicle also sustained gunshot injuries.

Police officers responded to the area, which is only blocks from the police department, after receiving a 911 call about the shooting. Arriving officers learned that the victims left the scene and were being treated by EMS personnel near Our Community Hospital in Scotland Neck.

The victims were transported by EMS to the Our Community Hospital. Daniels and one other victim were flown by Vidant East Care to Vidant Medical Center. Daniels was pronounced dead a short time later. The third victim was treated and released.

Powell last known address is in Mecklenburg County and was visiting Scotland Neck, police said.

The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations and Halifax County Sheriff’s office is assisting with the investigation. Anyone with information or whereabouts of Powell or Lloyd is encouraged to call Scotland Neck Police Department at (252) 826-4111 or Halifax County Crime Stoppers at (252) 583-4444.

CMPD Asking for Help Identifying South Charlotte Bank Robbery Suspect

From http://www.wcnc.com, January 28, 2016

Detectives with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police are asking for the public’s help in identifying a suspected bank robber.

At approximately 10:45 Thursday morning, an unknown male entered the Fifth Third Bank at 7530 Pineville-Matthews Road and handed an employee a note demanding money. When the suspect received the money, police say he fled on foot.

The suspect is described as a black male, around 5-foot-7 with a medium build, and was last seen wearing a grey sweatshirt and sweatpants.

Anyone with information concerning this case or the suspect is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600.

CMPD Makes Arrests in December 2015 Southwest Charlotte Triple Homicide

From the Charlotte Observer by Cleve R. Wootson, Jr., January 28, 2016

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police say they have made an arrest in a triple shooting in southwest Charlotte last month that left two brothers and another man dead.

Antonio Lafloyd Robinson, 34, and Jovon Raymar Twitty, 34, are both charged with three counts of murder in the killings.

Police say they killed brothers Naquivs Aqueece Benson and Jarvis Mandrell Benson and also shot and killed Javarius Deshawn McGee on China Grove Road in the Steele Creek community.

Maj. Cam Selvey said the killings were drug-related but wouldn’t give more details or say what led officers to identify Twitty and Robinson as suspects.

Robinson was arrested in Lancaster, S.C., by members of CMPD’s Violent Criminal Apprehension Team, who are authorized to pursue suspects across state lines. Twitty was arrested at a Charlotte hotel and was being interviewed by detectives late Thursday.

Selvey said the arrests came as a welcome relief for detectives, who investigated more homicides in 2015 than in the prior six years. The arrests mean that all six killings in December have been solved, during a year when homicide clearance rates have lagged, Selvey said.

Koketa Hood, the Benson brothers’ aunt and a Charlotte preschool teacher, said the brothers grew up in Lancaster, S.C. Naquivs Benson lived in Charlotte, where he was a culinary student who wanted “to do something different with his life.” She last saw him on Thanksgiving showing off his culinary skills smoking and deep frying turkeys and making desserts that “melted in your mouth.”

Relatives said Naquivs Benson had been shot before and was told by doctors he’d be paralyzed. Instead, he walked with a limp. They described the brothers as lively and funny. “They were always together,” said Shanta Montgomery, a cousin.

All three victims had run-ins with the law, South Carolina court records show. Naquivs Benson served prison time for trafficking ecstasy two years ago and was given probation for unlawfully carrying a pistol in 2005, records show.

Mandrell Benson was convicted of drugs and weapons charges and McGee was found guilty of two drug charges, records show.

The brothers had recently lost a friend in Lancaster to gunfire. “They were trying to get away from Lancaster to get away from the mess,” said Stacie Coleman, another aunt.