Carolyn Sue Boetticher, a 48-year-old woman from Charlotte, NC, tragically lost her life on April 9, 1997. The incident occurred when two police officers fired 22 shots at a car that ran a police checkpoint. Carolyn, who was a passenger in the back seat, was struck in the back of the neck by one of the shots and died the following morning at Carolinas Medical Center.
The officers involved, Shannon Jordan and Donn Belz, were placed on administrative duty pending an investigation into the shooting. The driver of the car, Robert G. Lundy Sr., a 55-year-old white man from West Columbia, SC, was arrested after attempting to flee the scene. Neither Lundy nor Boetticher were armed at the time of the incident.
The shooting sparked renewed criticism of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg police, as it was the third time in four years that an unarmed black individual had been fatally shot by white police officers at a traffic stop in Charlotte. A task force had been formed the previous fall to promote racial harmony after a police officer fired five times at a 19-year-old who had been pulled over. The incident involving Carolyn Sue Boetticher further fueled the ongoing debate about police use of force and racial tensions in the community.
Carolyn Sue Boetticher was a hotel housekeeper who grew up in Concord and spent much of her adult life in New Jersey before returning to Charlotte. Her death led to calls for a full investigation into the actions of the police officers involved. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg NAACP's political action committee, chaired by Terry Belk, demanded accountability and transparency in the investigation. Police Chief Dennis Nowicki stated that Officer Jordan felt his life was in danger as the stolen car sped toward them, which led to the excessive use of force. The investigation into the shooting aimed to determine whether the officers' actions were justified and to address the broader issues of police conduct and racial disparities in law enforcement.
