Finalist for Raleigh police chief called officer holding gun to man's head 'reasonable'

One of the three candidates to become Raleigh's next police chief said four years ago that she had no problem with an officer seen in video holding a gun to a man's head.
Posted 6/11/2021, 10:50:53 PM

1:00 P.M.

NEAR THE WHITEWATER COMMUNITY

TRAILHEAD.

IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION

CALL KNIGHTDALE POLICE.

>>> WRAL NEWS IS LOOKING INTO

THE BACKGROUNDS OF THE THREE

FINALISTS FOR THE CHIEF OF

POLICE IN THE CITY OF RALEIGH.

WHEN WE CAME TO ESTELLA

PATTERSON FROM CHARLOTTE WE

LEARNED OF AN INCIDENT THAT

HAPPENED IN 2017 THAT COULD

LOOK DIFFERENT TODAY.

HEARS MORE ON THAT STORY FROM

KEELY ARTHUR .

>> Reporter: ESTELLA PATTERSON

IS ONE OF THREE FINALISTS. THEY

ALL SPOKE AT THE CITY HALL

YESTERDAY.

PATTERSON FAUST TO MAKE RALEIGH

AMERICA'S SAFEST THE CITY.

AN OLD REPORT SHOWED THAT SHE

DEFENDED THE ACTIONS OF AN

OFFICER WHO HELD A GUN AGAINST

THE HEAD OF AN UNARMED MAN.

BODYCAM OR SHOW THE ARREST FROM

2017.

IN THE VIDEO YOU CAN HEAR AN

OFFICER IDENTIFIED AS JOHN

DUNHAM THREATENING THE SUSPECT.

INVESTIGATOR REPORTER ASKED

ESTELLA PATTERSON WHO WAS THE

HEAD OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS ABOUT

THE VIDEO.

BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE

TOTALITY OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES

YOU HAD TO REALIZE IT WAS

REASONABLE IN THAT SITUATION.

>> Reporter: ICE REACHED OUT TO

PATTERSON, THE MAYOR AND

COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR A COMMENT.

NO ONE HAS RESPONDED.

AT A PUBLIC FORUM PATTERSON

STATED THAT ANY MISCONDUCT

RELATED TO RACE MUST BE

INVESTIGATED.

>> IF WE HAVE AN INCIDENT WHERE

AN OFFICER OR EMPLOYEE IS

ACCUSED OF A RACIAL COMMENT THE

FIRST THING WE'RE GOING TO DO

IS INVESTIGATE.

>> Reporter: THE CHIEF OF

POLICE CAME OUT AND CALLED THE

BEHAVIOR INDEFENSIBLE.

MORE DETAILS COMING UP AT 7:00

ON WRAL NEWS.

>> THANK YOU, KEELY ARTHUR

REPORTING LIVE.

© WRAL