An attorney for the family of Dennis Bodden, who was fatally shot by a Pineville police sergeant in May, says the family is “exploring all legal options” after footage of the shooting was publicly released over the weekend.
The deadly encounter took place on May 14 outside of Bodden’s apartment off Johnston Road in south Charlotte, just across the street from a Food Lion grocery store where Bodden was suspected of shoplifting $84 worth of wine and produce, according to police.
The footage shows how the suspected shoplifting incident quickly escalated into a deadly police shooting in the span of just five minutes.
The family had requested the footage to be made public in the interest of transparency, said Micheal Littlejohn Jr., an attorney representing the Bodden family. He said the footage showed Pineville Police Sgt. Adam Roberts escalated a conflict with a man in mental distress who posed no threat to the officers.
He added that the footage demonstrated a need for better crisis intervention training (CIT) for Pineville police officers.
“If this is the way that someone who is trained in CIT interacts with someone who they believe to be having a mental health crisis, there needs to be immediate changes,” he said.
In a video statement, Pineville Police Captain Corey Copley said the footage showed Bodden “reached for (Roberts’) gun during his attack. Sergeant Roberts perceived this as an imminent threat to himself and Officer Down and fired three shots at Mr. Bowden mortally wounding him.”
Roberts, the Pineville officer who shot Bodden, was previously cleared of shooting and injuring a Black man, Timothy Caraway, in Pineville in 2020.
Within five minutes, a suspected shoplifting incident became a deadly police shooting
The May 14 encounter began when Pineville Police Sgt. Adam Roberts, who was working in uniform off-duty at the nearby McMullen Creek Shopping Center, responded to a call about the suspected shoplifting at the grocery store. Bodden was known to police as a “chronic” shoplifter, and had felony warrants for breaking and entering and stealing from the store, according to police.
The footage shows Roberts stepping out of his police cruiser and approaching Bodden, who was dressed in a yellow raincoat, in the Food Lion parking lot and ordering him to stop. Bodden was wearing headphones and appeared not to hear him, until he turned around and gave a surprised yell.
Bodden continued to walk away, and Roberts told dispatchers on his radio that Bodden “tried to push off on me,” though no contact between the men is seen on the video.
Bodden kept walking along Johnston Road as Roberts followed, pulling him back from walking into the road and telling him, “Do not walk into traffic.” Bodden responded, “Sorry?” and then crossed two lanes of Johnston Road with Roberts still following.
Once in the median, Roberts fired his Taser at Bodden twice and the two collapsed to the ground, where Roberts said Bodden bit him on his arm, although the footage is shaky and unfocused during the struggle. After, Bodden abandoned his groceries and crossed the remaining two lanes toward the Berkshire Place Apartments, where his family said he lived alone.
Another officer, Randall Down, arrived at the apartment’s parking lot, where Roberts pushed Bodden’s shoulder with one hand, saying, “You ain’t getting away, bro.” Both men pushed each other, and Bodden began to punch Roberts with clenched fists.
On police body camera, Bodden charged at Down, who unsuccessfully fired his Taser. Bodden grabbed Down’s radio and pulled the cord taut.
During this struggle, Roberts drew his firearm. The Mecklenburg County DA’s review of the footage concluded Bodden then reached for the weapon moments before Roberts fired three times, mortally wounding Bodden.
After the shooting, as the two officers place handcuffs on Bodden, one of the officers is heard saying, “We got him. Good guys always win.”
As Bodden laid on the ground, he’s heard saying “I think I’m having a panic attack,” and “I ain’t a bad guy.”
Bodden experienced mental health challenges, family says
Bodden was a New York state attorney who represented people with mental disabilities. He was also a graduate of Rutgers University with a degree in biochemistry and a graduate of the Cardozo School of Law.
His own mental health began to deteriorate during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to his mother and aunt. In 2021, he was diagnosed with bipolar schizophrenia and moved to Charlotte for warmer weather.
Bodden’s mother, Cleopatra Bodden, told WFAE she intended to file a civil suit in the case. Her attorney declined to say on Monday if a civil suit was imminent.
