Overnight Traffic Stop Produces 16 DWI's

Sixteen people were arrested for driving while intoxicated after Charlotte-Mecklenburg police conducted a traffic checkpoint Saturday night. The checkpoint was held on Park Road close to it's intersection with Kenilworth Avenue and Scott Avenue in south Charlotte.

Of the sixteen DWI arrests, four were under the legal drinking age of 21. There were also two drug charges and one stolen firearm charge. Fourteen people were caught driving with no license, while five were driving on a revoked license. In all, 58 charges were issued.

Checkpoints like this are critical to maintaining the integrity of our driving safety in the Charlotte area.

Thursday Night Traffic Stop Produces 11 Arrests, 117 Citations

Eleven people were put behind bars Thursday night as the result of a DWI checkpoint set up by Charlotte-Mecklenburg police. Of those 11 people, five were charged with driving while intoxicated.

The checkpoint started at 11:00 Thursday night on the 5200 block of North Sharon Amity Road, near its junction with East W.T. Harris Boulevard. It continued until about 3:00 Friday morning. CMPD handed out 117 citations as a result of the traffic stop, including 32 for driving while license revoked and 28 for driving without a license.

In addition to the DWI's and driving charges, there were two open container charges and five drug charges.

Local Protester on Terror Watch List, Released From Custody on Bond

James Ian Tyson

Twenty-seven year-old James Ian Tyson was arrested by police on Sunday night on North Caldwell Street for driving with a revoked license. After his arrest, authorities attempted to keep Tyson in custody for the duration of the Democratic National Convention on the grounds that he is a known activist that is currently on a national terror watch list.

In an effort to keep Tyson in jail, his bail was set at $10,000 by Chief District Judge Lisa Bell. Bell based her decision on information provided to her by the arresting officer, which also requested that Tyson not be released during the convention, out of concern for public safety.

However, no further information could be provided to support the decision to hold Tyson, who also  lacks anything in his criminal record that would indicate a dangerous behavior. The Charlotte native also has a longstanding bond to many of the city's activist circles. These elements caused Judge Bell to reconsider her decision and lower Tyson's bond to $2,500. Lowering his bond enabled Tyson's release at around 8:00 Monday night.

For reference, driving while license revoked (DWLR) in Mecklenburg County can carry a bond ranging from $100 up to $2,500. Other individuals arrested for DWLR on Sunday received bonds under $500, according to Mecklenburg County records.

After his release, Tyson released a statement voicing his innocence and his belief that his bond was set at an unusually excessive amount in an effort to silence him during the DNC. Authorities maintain that public safety is their top priority when they encounter cases of this nature.