A Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer has been charged with larceny after he was identified as a suspect in seven shoplifting incidents at a Harris-Teeter supermarket.
CMPD identified the officer as Samuel Yaravitz, a patrol officer assigned to the Providence Division who was hired in June 1999.
At a press conference today at police headquarters, department officials said all of the incidents happened this year, between February 13 and May 9, and all happened at the Harris-Teeter on Morrison Boulevard in the SouthPark area.
“We are charged with upholding and enforcing the law and will continue to hold ourselves accountable when we violate it,” Chief Kerr Putney said in a statement emailed to local media. “I am disappointed that a member of our department has fallen short of our organization’s high standards.”
According to the department’s public information office, CMPD launched a criminal and internal investigation after receiving information that an officer was shoplifting at a local supermarket.
“Evidence and information gathered during the investigation allowed detectives to identify Officer Yaravitz as the suspect,” the department said in a statement.
Yaravitz was arrested and charged with seven counts of larceny.
CMPD said the investigation was continuing.
