A witness on a rooftop called 911 at 6:40 p.m. and said they were watching two men use a chain to break into vehicles in a lot on Westmere Avenue. The caller said there were at least two people plus a third person driving an SUV, according to a police affidavit.
Police located the SUV the men were in on Trade Street a few minutes later, the affidavit said. A police helicopter followed until the three men got out at Statesville Avenue and Atando Avenue. Two of three of the men were found hiding in a nearby construction site in the 3400 block of Northerly Road, the affidavit said.
Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium is home to the Carolina Panthers and Charlotte FC. Griffin Zetterberg USA TODAY Sports
There weren’t any stolen items inside the vehicle, the affidavit said.
Officers looked in the area for items that may have been thrown out of the vehicle. Transit security told officers they saw three to five guns near Trade Street and Cedar Street, but did not secure them, the affidavit said. A group of teenagers picked up the guns and ran.
After speaking with victims, police determined nine vehicles had items stolen. The culprits stole four firearms, money, clothes and electronics, a game console, tablet, and power tools, court records said. One firearm has been recovered.
Two men charged were being held in the Mecklenburg County Jail.
This story was originally published January 13, 2026 at 2:53 PM.
Jeff A. Chamer is a breaking news reporter for the Charlotte Observer. He’s lived a few places, but mainly in Michigan where he grew up. Before joining the Observer, Jeff covered K-12 and higher education at the Worcester Telegram & Gazette in Massachusetts.
Bruno Mars will bring his ‘The Romantics Tour’ to Bank of America Stadium on April 29.
Live Nation
Two Grammy-nominated superstars will be making their way back to Bank of America Stadium this year.
Bruno Mars will be returning to the Queen City in his first global headline tour in nearly a decade. The Romantic Tour will include nearly 40 stops across the country — including an April 29 date in Charlotte.
Mars will be supported by his Grammy Award-winning and Silk Sonic comrade Anderson .Paak, performing a DJ set, and R&B extraordinaire Leon Thomas — who received six nominations for the 2026 Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year and Best New Artist.
Presale tickets go on sale Jan. 14 at 12 p.m. General sale goes live Jan. 15 at 12 p.m.
Briah Lumpkins is the emerging news reporter for the Charlotte Observer. In this role, she finds important and impactful enterprise stories impacting the Charlotte-metro region. Most previously, Briah spent time in Houston, Texas covering underrepresented suburban communities at the Houston Landing. Prior to that, she spent a year at the Charleston Post and Courier for an investigative reporting fellowship through FRONTLINE PBS. When she’s not at work you can find her binge reading on her kindle or at the movie theater watching the latest premieres.
But there was one entity that kept getting props in the postgame locker room.
And they got brought up … colorfully.
“Shoutout to the fans,” defensive lineman Derrick Brown said postgame. “S— was rockin’ in here today. So shoutout to the fans, and don’t be afraid to travel in a few weeks.”
Carolina Panthers rookie Tetairoa McMillan celebrates with fans after scoring a touchdown Sunday at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. TRACY KIMBALL tkimball@charlotteobserver.com
It’s without question that the Carolina Panthers’ fan base loomed large in the team’s massive win — all 73,000-plus of them. Panthers players gushed about the crowd’s strength. Bucs players acknowledged the crowd’s disruptiveness. Coaches on both sides couldn’t escape the fact that the noise played a role in the game’s result.
And the loudest contest of the season couldn’t have come at a better time: The Panthers now continue to control their own destiny as they push for their first playoff bid since 2017 — and now they just need to beat the Bucs in Week 18, or some other permutation Week 17, to make their postseason position permanent.
Everything set the table for a great crowd. It was clear and sunny at kickoff, a welcomed 58-degree December day in Charlotte. North Carolina legendary rapper Petey Pablo showed up at the official Roaring Riot tailgate. There was a pregame flyover. Active offensive lineman Austin Corbett boomed the Keep Pounding drum before the game, and legendary tight end Greg Olsen crushed the drum right before the fourth quarter.
The Grinch celebrates the play of the Carolina Panthers during action against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. The Panthers defeated the Buccaneers 23-20. JEFF SINER jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
“Bank of America Stadium was a special place today,” Canales said. “Black towels waving, all-black uniforms, the whole thing. It felt right. It felt exactly right.
“It was an advantage. There were some false starts. There were some issues with communication. We can see where they were having trouble getting the calls in, getting lined up — that’s our fan base. That’s showing up.”
Canales continued saying “it really does take all of us, and those are the little advantages and edges that we need. I’m so fortunate to be able to be here, and to feel that type of energy in the building. And then when we make big plays, they let you hear it. The guys feed off that. So there was an amazing, electric feel today in the stadium.”
A Carolina Panthers fan yells support to the team during action against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. The Panthers defeated the Buccaneers 23-20. JEFF SINER jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
How, exactly, did the fans impact the Bucs? Take it from them
Officially, the Bucs had eight penalties that yielded 56 yards. Three were false starts. One was a delay of game. And that showing is statistically uncharacteristic for the Bucs — a team that coming into Sunday was among the Top 5 least-penalized teams in the NFL, averaging 5.4 a game, according to Team Rankings.
“It’s self-inflicted, and it’s a different kind of focus between penalties and a different kind of focus between MEs (mental errors),” Bucs head coach Todd Bowles told reporters postgame.
Added offensive lineman Luke Goedeke, who was called for two of the team’s three false starts, on what provoked the penalties: “Noise — not on the same page. Multiple things attribute to that. I just have to play better personally.”
A Carolina Panthers fan makes a plea to quarterback Bryce Young during the team’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. The Panthers defeated the Buccaneers 23-20. JEFF SINER jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
This crowd might not have been at 2015-season-conference-championship-level volume. But there was undoubtedly something special in the air: an urgency, a joy, an enthusiastic willingness to ride the ups and downs of this delightfully confusing season until its end.
That was everywhere Sunday. It helped Young play through pain. It helped keep the Bucs off balance. It fired up Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield early — as the former Panther QB stomped into the Panthers end zone after a first quarter touchdown — and then helped unravel Mayfield’s offense at the end.
The crowd noise offered a window into how much this team means to this city — a reminder of who this team is playing for.
A Carolina Panthers fan shows his support for the team by having the team name airbrushed on his forehead for the team’s matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. The Panthers defeated the Buccaneers 23-20. JEFF SINER jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
“Imagine if they didn’t get them,” Sanders said of Tampa Bay’s penalties. “They would probably have gotten the first down in that drive or something. So it definitely all plays a part.”
But the Panthers don’t have to imagine. The fans took care of it.
This story was originally published December 22, 2025 at 6:00 AM.
Alex Zietlow writes about the Carolina Panthers and the ways in which sports intersect with life for The Charlotte Observer, where he has been a reporter since August 2022. Zietlow’s work has been honored by the Pro Football Writers Association, the N.C. and S.C. Press Associations, as well as the Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE) group. He’s earned six APSE Top 10 distinctions for his coverage on a variety of topics, from billion-dollar stadium renovations to the small moments of triumph that helped a Panthers kicker defy the steepest odds in sports. Zietlow previously wrote for The Herald in Rock Hill (S.C.) from 2019-22. Support my work with a digital subscription
Tepper will team with Live Nation, which bills itself as the world’s leading live entertainment company. The privately funded venue will seat 4,400 people. Live Nation includes Ticketmaster, Live Nation Concerts and Live Nation Sponsorship.
“With Live Nation’s deep industry insight, the venue is set to bring in the kinds of shows and live experiences that expand Charlotte’s entertainment offerings, contribute to economic growth and transform this corridor into a weekend destination district,” Kristi Coleman, Tepper Sports & Entertainment chief executive officer, said in a statement.
Blueprint Studio, Live Nation’s in-house design and development group, will lead the project on 2 acres in Charlotte’s Third Ward neighborhood.
City Council voted unanimously on Monday to amend its ground lease agreement with Tepper Sports and Entertainment to include terms for the venue.
The venue supports a broader $1.7 billion effort from the city to transform aging spaces in uptown, midtown and South End and turn a business-centric district into a destination district, The Charlotte Observer reported.
Joe Marusak has been a reporter for The Charlotte Observer since 1989 covering the people, municipalities and major news events of the region, and was a news bureau editor for the paper. He currently reports on breaking news. Support my work with a digital subscription
Bryce Young trusted Xavier Legette on a contested 7-yard TD pass that sparked comeback
Legette overcame sluggish start to 2025 to deliver key catches in Panther win over Miami
Coach Dave Canales praised Legette’s work ethic and said Legette’s TD made him emotional
With a third-and-4 at the Miami 7, with Carolina trailing 17-0 in the second quarter, Panthers quarterback Bryce Young made a choice.
Even though second-year wide receiver Xavier Legette had had an awful start to his 2025 season and even though Young’s first throw to Legette on the day had resulted in an interception, the QB saw single coverage out wide on No. 17 and knew what he wanted to do.
“We call those ‘trust throws,’” Legette said later. “When he threw me that one right there, it showed me he believed in me.”
Young fired the ball into the end zone where only Legette could get it. With a Dolphins defender draped all over him, Legette reached out and made the kind of contested catch he was drafted to make as a first-round pick in 2024.
“I just wanted to give him a chance,” Young said. “He did a great job adjusting to it.”
It’s hard to overstate how symbolic that play was to the Panthers.
“I was about to cry, honestly,” Panthers coach Dave Canales said.
Carolina Panthers fans react to a touchdown pass reception by wide receiver Xavier Legette against Miami Dolphins cornerback Jack Jones during action on Sunday, October 5, 2025 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC. The Panthers defeated the Dolphins 27-24. JEFF SINER jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
Legette’s catch started an extraordinary Panthers comeback that ended with Carolina nipping Miami, 27-24, in front of the home crowd at Bank of America Stadium. And although Legette has insisted his confidence never wavered, it certainly helped his teammates have some more confidence when he could make a play like that.
That’s because Legette has been fighting the label “draft bust” all year. First, he had two awful games in which he caught only four of 15 targets for a total of eight yards. Then, he hurt his hamstring and missed the next two games.
So while an injury certainly made it look worse, the fact remained that Legette had less than one first down’s worth of yardage in the first month of the season. And no TDs. So when he scored on Sunday and then, in the fourth quarter, had a key 24-yard catch on the Panthers’ final drive, it was an important step for him.
Carolina Panthers wide receiver Xavier Legette picks up yardage following a pass reception against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, October 5, 2025 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC. The Panthers defeated the Dolphins 27-24. JEFF SINER jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
Said Canales of Legette’s performance: “Unbelievable… When the ball came to him, he made the plays. That’s all we need from him. He showed up today. He had a great look in his eyes. He was excited to get out there.”
As for the touchdown, Canales said he was emotional because he was “just very proud of the work that he’s put in to get himself back out there. Because I see him grinding, I see him attacking the things that he needs to work on in practice. He’s not shying away from it. He hit it head-on, and he looked in the mirror, and he said, ‘These are the things that I need to improve my game on.’ To get him back out there healthy and playing confident was huge.”
Legette still was very much a secondary target for Young, who made rookie Tetairoa McMillan his top target in Week 1 and has stayed with that plan ever since. McMillan had six catches for 73 yards Sunday, leading the Panthers in both those categories.
Carolina Panthers wide receiver Xavier Legette (17) makes a 7-yard touchdown catch during the second quarter with Miami Dolphins cornerback Jack Jones (23) defending on Sunday at Bank of America Stadium. The Panthers were down 17-0 at the time, but ended up coming back and winning, 27-24. Cory Knowlton Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images
But Legette is important, as a player who can keep the defense from being tilted quite so much toward McMillan (who still hasn’t scored his first NFL TD). Perhaps that touchdown will lead to more. Legette’s celebration was somewhat muted, however — he didn’t ride an imaginary horse in the end zone, as he did several times in 2024. He said that horse has been “retired” for a while.
But Legette himself got back on the horse on Sunday, which was a promising sign for a Panthers team that needs every offensive weapon it can get.
Columnist Scott Fowler has written for The Charlotte Observer since 1994. He has earned 24 national APSE sportswriting awards and hosted The Observer’s podcast “Carruth,” which Sports Illustrated once named “Podcast of the Year.” Fowler hosts the online series and podcast “Sports Legends of the Carolinas,” which features 1-on-1 interviews with NC and SC sports icons. He also writes occasionally about non-sports subjects, such as the 5-part series “9/11/74,” which chronicled the plane crash of Eastern Air Lines Flight 212 in Charlotte in 1974. Support my work with a digital subscription
Charlotte City Council members heard conflicting views from a half-filled chamber Monday on whether to contribute hundreds of millions to renovations to Bank of America Stadium.
The council held a public hearing a week ahead of its scheduled vote on Tepper Sports & Entertainment’s plan for the largest and most expensive renovation yet to the home of the Carolina Panthers and Charlotte FC. The stadium also hosts college football games, such as the Duke’s Mayo Bowl, and concerts.
The plan calls for $650 million in city money, which would come from hospitality tax revenue. That money can only be spent on a limited number of tourism-related projects. The plan includes a 20-year non-relocation agreement for both teams, though that could be bought out after 15 years.
Charlotte initially didn’t plan a public hearing and had scheduled a public forum on the same day as the full council’s vote. But the city held Monday’s hearing after some council members said they needed to hear more public input. Some online questioned whether the city was limiting public comment by holding the hearing during business hours on a weekday and not publicizing it more.
Hundreds also submitted their thoughts on the plan through an online survey, and those comments primarily opposed the deal.
Of the 23 people who spoke Monday, 15 supported the project and six opposed it. Others offered more mixed opinions.
Those who spoke in support of public investment in the stadium said it’s essential to maintaining an asset to the city’s economy. But others questioned the plan, whether the city has been transparent about it and team owner David Tepper’s history.
Bank of America Stadium renovation plan comments
Here’s what residents said Monday about the proposal:
▪ “These funds are specifically earmarked for hospitality-related projects, ensuring that our investment directly benefits our community,” said Vinay Patel, SREE Hotels president and CEO and Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority board member, on tourism taxes being used to fund stadium renovations.
▪ “We’ll make it the best outdoor stadium in America, which will have tremendous impact as we compete with these other cities,” said Danny Morrison, executive director of the Charlotte Sports Foundation, on the possibility of an upgraded stadium drawing major events to Charlotte.
▪ “If our investment does not come with any kind of tangible financial benefit, it’s not truly an investment. It’s a shakedown,” said Charlotte resident Bobby Lord, questioning why the city would invest in a stadium it doesn’t own or get a portion of ticket sales from.
▪ “Your handling of this has made clear transparency is anything but a priority,” said Grace Fendrick, organizer of petition in opposition to public investment in the stadium, questioning how the city has handled the process. Fendrick was among those who spoke on social media ahead of Monday’s meeting with concerns it wasn’t better publicized.
▪ “Beyoncé thought the stadium was okay. If it’s good enough for Beyoncé, it’s good enough for half the city,” said Charlotte resident Sylvia Cobb, sharing doubts about whether stadium upgrades are a worthwhile public investment.
What’s next for Panthers plan
Mayor Vi Lyles thanked the crowd for offering an “array” of views on the proposal.
“You’ve given us a lot to think about,” she said.
The City Council didn’t vote or take any action based on Monday’s comments. It’s expected to vote on the plan June 24.
City Council approves rezoning for Panthers practice facility
City Council members also voted unanimously Monday to approve a Panthers’ rezoning petition to make way for the team’s new practice facility.
The rezoning request was for 12 acres on the east side of South Cedar Street. The Panthers want to expand their footprint with a new fieldhouse, outdoor practice fields and a fan area after announcing they would move training camp to Charlotte from Wofford College.
Some in the community had raised concerns about the project, including asking questions about whether a well-used pedestrian path would be blocked. But city staff and the team said the pathway won’t go away and instead will be widened in places.
Both city planning staff and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Planning Commission’s Zoning Committee recommended the council approve the project.
Council member Malcolm Graham, whose District 2 includes the site, applauded the Panthers team and the community for working together to address concerns.
“This really has been a collaboration,” he said.
This story was originally published June 17, 2024, 5:26 PM.
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Mary Ramsey is the local government accountability reporter for The Charlotte Observer. A native of the Carolinas, she studied journalism at the University of South Carolina and has also worked in Phoenix, Arizona and Louisville, Kentucky. Support my work with a digital subscription
