Selma Police officer fired | Termination comes after controversial traffic stop that went viral

SELMA, NC (WTVD) — The Selma Police Department fired an officer following a controversial traffic stop that went viral on social media.

On September 19, Selma police stopped local handyman Matthew Sanders, who recorded the interaction on his personal phone. This led to a combative encounter that led to Sanders filing a complaint against SPD, claiming the officer turned off his phone and deleted the video. SPD said officer Joseph Atkinson was terminated by the department on Oct. 21 following an internal investigation into the incident.

“We hold everyone in the town of Selma to a high standard when it comes to our ability to serve our citizens,” Mayor Byron McAllister said of the decision to fire Atkinson.

McAllister defended the encounter, saying it did not violate any department policy and that the stop was justified. Ultimately, SPD leadership felt Atkinson’s actions did not meet the town’s high standards for ministry, he said.

“This was a legitimate stop by our officers,” McAllister said. “The ongoing allegations against Mr. Sanders are legitimate accusations.”

In the video, police asked Sanders to leave his car more than a dozen times, claiming he smelled of marijuana. Following the traffic stop, Sanders was charged with driving with an expired license, possession of marijuana, and resisting an officer; He denies the accusations.

McAllister said allegations that Atkinson deleted the video could not be proven by investigators.

“The allegation was investigated not only by the Selma Police Department, but also by two independent police agencies. The allegation was not proven either,” he said.

ABC11 spoke with Sanders on Thursday, and he said he doesn’t believe that outcome.

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“I guess they didn’t have the knowledge because the technology can’t provide that. But somewhere they had the confidence to terminate the officer,” he said.

He said he supports the town’s decision to let Atkinson go.

“All in all, I’m happy about it because I believe it could save some other citizens from having to deal with the same things I’m dealing with,” Sanders said.

Sanders said he hopes police will offer body-worn cameras to assist in future encounters; This technology is actually on the way in Selma. Funding has recently been allocated for body and dash cameras and a launch date has not yet been determined.

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