Merritt asks for the public to not judge all by the actions of one
- Chuck Thompson
- 2 hours ago
- 2 min read
By Chuck Thompson | The Shelby Independent
SHELBY / Government – It was a packed house Monday evening as Mayor Stan Anthony welcomed everyone at the opening of the Shelby City Council meeting on Monday, June 1.
“Glad to see a full house of our citizens,” said Anthony. “We’re always grateful for the opportunity of our citizenry to come in and be a part of our meeting, so thank you for coming tonight.”
Mayor Anthony then noted City of Shelby Manager, Justin Merritt, had a statement to make before the opening convocation.
Merritt provided an update on the May 29 incident involving a suspect, Cherrie Moore and former police officer Kyle Hyder.
“As you know, our police department has been working in full cooperation with the State Bureau of investigation… Karson Hyder has now been charged with misdemeanor assault with inflicting serious injury.”
Merritt explained that Hyder turned himself in at the detention center and was released on a $10,000 secured bond.
He continued by stating, “As you all know, this incident sent shockwaves throughout our community. I understand these concerns and we will work to address these concerns over the coming days and weeks…”
(City manager comments continued below...)
Merritt noted they would continue to rebuild their trust with the community through transparency and community engagement, adding, “As we move forward, I ask that our Shelby Police Department and its officers not be judged by the actions of one individual. These actions seen in a video circulating on social media are horrific and do not reflect the training or protocols of our police department.”
“Our officers are trained to serve with compassion, honesty, teamwork, integrity, professionalism and respect,” Merritt said. “We will continue to re-enforce these values and live them every day. If we fail to meet these standards, we will hold ourselves accountable and take appropriate corrective actions.”
Merritt also thanked the citizens of Shelby for their patience, stating, “I would also like to thank the community for their support they have provided to us during this difficult time.”
He concluded by explaining that he was limited to what he could say due to an ongoing investigation but would answer any questions by the council to the best of his ability.
Due to the ongoing situation, no questions were asked at that time.
Several phones rang out, echoing through council chambers as the mayor respectfully asked everyone to silence their phones and respect the integrity of the council chambers.
Two charges against Cherrie Moore, resisting a public officer and assault on a government official, were dropped as of June 1, 2026.
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Chuck Thompson is a reporter and columnist for The Shelby Independent.
The Shelby Independent.