Detention Officer Attacked Handcuffed Inmate: Sheriff

CHARLOTTE, NC — A Mecklenburg County detention officer was arrested and fired Wednesday after video footage showed that she assaulted a handcuffed inmate, Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office officials said.

Former Detention Officer Chandler Craig has been arrested and charged with simple assault. According to Sheriff’s Office reports, on Sept. 13, Craig was engaged in a verbal dispute with a resident of the Mecklenburg County Detention Center-Central when the dispute escalated and she initiated physical force “that was outside of MCSO’s policies, procedures, and training regarding an appropriate application of force.”

When Craig filed a written incident report, however, she omitted key details about the encounter that had been recorded on security video at the detention center, authorities said.

Sheriff Garry McFadden made the decision to file criminal charges as soon as he read Craig’s report.
“I personally review all use of force reports submitted from detention staff and after reading the report regarding this incident, the MCSO Criminal Investigations Unit was notified,” McFadden said. “The type of conduct displayed by Officer Craig is not a representation of this agency and will not be tolerated. While I understand the dangers of working in a detention facility, I also understand the importance of ensuring the safety of all MCSO staff as well as residents housed inside our detention facilities.”