CHARLOTTE — Newly released video footage shows the moment a former Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department officer mistakenly shot another officer during a 2019 operation in the Derita neighborhood.
The incident occurred while officers from Charlotte and Gastonia were assisting an FBI task force in serving a search warrant at a home, according to the Charlotte Observer.
During the operation, former CMPD officer Heather Loveridge mistakenly fired her weapon, seriously injuring then-Gastonia police officer Clarence Belton.
The video, obtained from the Charlotte Observer, captures the chaotic scene as officers entered the suspect’s garage.
The footage shows an officer walking off-camera towards the door leading into the house, then returning to the garage with three other officers, including Heather Loveridge.
As the officers regrouped near the door to the home, shots were fired, and bullet casings can be seen flying across the screen.
The officers scrambled to exit the garage, and at one point, Loveridge is seen firing her gun toward the group.
The video also shows the officers running out of the garage, with one appearing to be limping. Police confirmed that Loveridge’s gunfire struck officer Clarence Belton, causing serious injuries.
The release of the video provides a clearer view of the events that led to the accidental shooting of Officer Clarence Belton by Heather Loveridge during the 2019 operation.
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