Three police officers have resigned amid an investigation into alleged racist texts shared among a group of six officers at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) in North Carolina, the police chief announced during a press conference on Thursday.

"The allegations against them are serious," CMPD Police Chief Estella Patterson said during a press conference on Thursday afternoon.

"They're deeply troubling. And frankly, I'm disappointed that we're even having to talk about this today." Three additional officers are also embroiled in this controversy, and their actions are also being investigated, according to police.