A North Carolina woman who struck a Charlotte police officer with her car during a street takeover was arrested and released the same day on a $3,000 bond, law enforcement officials confirmed this week. The incident, caught on video, has drawn sharp criticism from police groups who say the bail amount sends a dangerous message.
Tanaezah Michelle Austin, 25, faces a felony charge of assault with a deadly weapon on a government official following the March 2 incident in northwest Charlotte.
According to an arrest affidavit, officers were called to a commercial parking lot around 3:25 a.m. after reports of vehicles doing donuts. When officers moved to break up the street takeover, one officer approached Austin’s black Kia Optima as she attempted to leave.
The officer was in full uniform and giving verbal commands to stop. He was standing directly in front of the vehicle where he “could be clearly seen by the driver,” according to the affidavit. Austin initially stopped, then “began to accelerate rapidly” as the officer moved toward the driver’s side door. He rolled over the hood of the car.
The officer was transported to a hospital and treated for minor injuries.
Austin fled the scene and was later located by officers. She was booked into Mecklenburg County jail and released that same day after posting a $3,000 secured bond. A probable cause hearing is scheduled for March 24.
Dan Redford, president of the Charlotte Fraternal Order of Police, said the low bond amount was unacceptable.
“These are among the worst of the worst incidents that we have to deal with in Charlotte,” Redford said. “To see a $3,000 bond for an offender, regardless of whether she has a criminal history or not, when the intent to flee was clearly there, is pathetic.”
Redford said decisions like this can damage officer morale and signal to would-be offenders that attacking police carries few immediate consequences.
Randy Sutton, a retired police lieutenant and founder of The Wounded Blue, an organization that advocates for injured law enforcement officers, said the numbers speak for themselves.
“When I hear about someone being released on a $3,000 bond for running over a police officer on video, it boggles my mind,” Sutton said. “In reality, that means she may have only had to put up about $300. She ran over a cop, and she walked out.”
Sutton said street takeovers represent a growing threat to public safety and law enforcement. The incidents, which often draw large crowds and involve dangerous driving stunts, have spread to cities across the country. Police in Charlotte have dealt with multiple such events in recent years.
Video of the March 2 incident circulated on social media and prompted widespread reaction, with some users asking, “What is happening in Charlotte?”
Austin’s case is the latest in a string of incidents that critics say illustrate the consequences of low bail thresholds for violent offenses. Fraternal Order of Police officials in multiple cities have raised similar alarms about suspects in felony cases being released quickly on minimal bond.
“There are laws on the books that are supposed to protect law enforcement officers from these heinous attacks,” Redford said. “When officers see this treated like just another incident, it makes them question whether they’re truly supported, especially by members of the criminal justice system.”
No additional charges have been filed as of this report. Austin’s next court date remains set for March 24.
