I had a similar thing happen to me in that frickin state.
Pulled over by not one but 2 N.C. state patrolmen..yanked out of my car demanding that I hand over the beer I was drinking...what they found was a coke which I had been drinking.
One officer had me face down on the ground the other proceeded to empty my luggage and dumped it all over the ground looking for the “beer”
Not finding what they were looking for, they just up and left...no sorry, no let me help you reload your car.
Me...at the time..White, 58, a bit overweight, drive a Cadillac.
There would be consequences...
Im sorry to say i believe your story completely.