Charlotte Man Drops Lawsuit Over Protest Grenade: The Hand He Played Wasn’t Strong Enough 🧨✋

Playing with Fire: Protest Grenades, Lost Fingers, and a Lawsuit That Went Nowhere

By Jack Beckett, The Queen City Express

Kyre Mitchell wanted justice. What he got was a reality check. The Charlotte artist, who famously lost two fingers while allegedly “saving the day” during the George Floyd protests in 2020, has dropped his lawsuit against the city and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. Turns out, when you play hot potato with a grenade, the courts don’t hand out participation trophies.

The Incident: A Recipe for Disaster

On a tense May night, Mitchell claims he was part of a peaceful protest when a CMPD officer chucked a flashbang grenade into the crowd. Ever the hero, he decided to pick it up and toss it back. Spoiler alert: grenades explode. While his intentions may have been noble, his decision-making certainly wasn’t. Because here’s the thing—when something’s literally called a “bang,” your first instinct should probably be to back away, not channel your inner quarterback.

Mitchell’s right hand paid the price for his split-second bravado. Missing two fingers and facing a lifetime of literal fist bumps, he turned to the courts, hoping to hold someone—anyone—responsible. But what do you do when the grenade-thrower is about as identifiable as the guy who ate the last Krispy Kreme in the breakroom?

The Lawsuit: A Case Full of Holes

The city’s lawyers wasted no time poking holes in Mitchell’s claims, arguing there was no solid proof that the grenade even came from CMPD. Their argument essentially boiled down to: “Prove it was us, or it could’ve been anyone with an overstocked fireworks cabinet.”

This isn’t entirely outlandish. The chaos of protests is fertile ground for accidents, misattribution, and bad decisions. Unfortunately for Mitchell, his bad decision wasn’t limited to picking up the grenade—it extended to trying to pin the blame on CMPD with shaky evidence and legal arguments thinner than a South End mimosa.

The Plaintiff’s Dilemma: A Protest Hero or His Own Worst Enemy?

Let’s not ignore the elephant in the courtroom: Mitchell made the choice to pick up a grenade. Sure, he says it was to protect others, but in doing so, he put himself at risk. Did he think he was auditioning for an action movie? In a world where grenades and protests collide, nobody wins.

The courts weren’t here for Mitchell’s martyr narrative, and neither, apparently, was he—since he opted to drop his case before it could unravel further. Whether it was lack of evidence, mounting legal fees, or just a realization that the grenade-throwing culprit might remain a mystery, Mitchell walked away empty-handed (pun fully intended).

Justice or Darwin Award?

The case’s dismissal leaves Mitchell’s First Amendment claims on the cutting-room floor, along with any chance of CMPD being held accountable for alleged “indiscriminate force.” And while the debate over riot tactics and crowd control continues, one lesson stands out: if you see something literally designed to explode, don’t pick it up.

Thanks to Our Sponsor

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Jack Beckett’s Bio
Fueled by coffee strong enough to reanimate the undead, Jack Beckett delivers sharp takes on the Queen City’s quirks, controversies, and courtroom dramas. Check out more of his work on The Queen City Express, where we cover everything from city council gaffes to uptown’s latest “it” spots.

Because in Charlotte, the news is always entertaining—even when it’s missing a few fingers.