SHELBY, N.C. (WLOS) — A former Shelby police officer has been charged with assault after an investigation into an instance of “excessive use of force” during an arrest that drew national attention.
The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation announced Monday that 22-year-old Karson Hyder was charged with one count of assault inflicting serious injury. Hyder turned himself in at the Cleveland County Detention Center at 10 a.m. Monday, the SBI confirmed. He was then processed and released on a $10,000 secured bond.
The SBI said it began the investigation at the request of Brad Fraser, chief of police for the Shelby Police Department, and Cleveland County District Attorney Mike Miller. The investigation “examined an allegation of excessive use of force,” the SBI said.
Hyder’s charge comes after a series of regional and national outlets reported that Hyder was seen repeatedly punching a Black woman during an arrest on Friday, May 29. Home surveillance footage obtained by CNN shows the police officer, now identified as Hyder, force the woman to the ground before punching her in the head at least ten times.
CNN reported that as Hyder and another officer tried to handcuff the woman after the incident, she asked for mental health care, said she was off her medication and repeatedly asked officers to call her father. The woman has since been identified by Cherrie Moore. According to a warrant, Moore, 34, fled the residence on foot and resisted arrest, assaulting Hyder by “grabbing and ripping (his) uniform.”
A separate warrant filed Monday alleged Hyder “unlawfully and willfully did assault and strike Cherrie Moore” by grabbing her “by the arm, pushing her to the ground and striking her in the face with a closed fist, thereby inflicting serious injury, possible broken nose and busted lip.”
Hyder was promptly fired from his job with the Shelby Police Department after this incident, Shelby Police Chief Brad Fraser announced Saturday. Hyder had also previously been placed on administrative suspension.
The SBI said no additional information was available at this time.
Editor’s note: The Associated Press contributed to this report.
