CHARLOTTE (QUEEN CITY NEWS) -- One week before Charlotte’s new police chief Stella Patterson was introduced to the public, her husband, Lance Patterson, reached an undisclosed settlement with the city.

The settlement is tied to a lawsuit from 2018, when Lance, a Charlotte Fire Battalion Chief, and a colleague sued, claiming discrimination. Lance accused the department of passing him over for opportunities because of his race.

According to court documents, the two sides had attempted to settle as far back as 2022, but after three years, they could not agree on terms. In July 2025, a federal judge ordered the lawsuit to go to trial in December. That plan was then tossed out when the two sides came to an agreement last week.

In an interview with Queen City News on Wednesday, Charlotte Mayo

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