UNC-Chapel Hill police charge 3 in the Silent Sam toppling; more arrests possible

The UNC-Chapel Hill Police Department has filed warrants charging three people in connection with the toppling of the Silent Sam statue Monday evening.

The warrants charge the three with misdemeanor riot and misdemeanor defacing of a public monument, according to a UNC police statement.

The three people named in the warrants, who have not been publicly identified because they have not yet been arrested, are not affiliated with the university, UNC Police spokesman Randy Young said in an email.

“The UNC Police investigation is ongoing, and additional arrests may occur,” Young added.

One person was arrested by UNC police Monday night for wearing a mask at a demonstration, resisting, delaying and obstructing an officer.

Demonstrators pulled down the monument around 9:15 p.m. Earlier, they had surrounded the statue with banners that said, “For a world without white supremacy.”

The monument was erected in 1913 with donations from the United Daughters of the Confederacy. It has been the focus of protests and vandalism for decades. UNC had installed surveillance cameras and spent $390,000 on security around the statue during the last year.

It was the second Confederate monument to be pulled down in the area during the past year. Several people were arrested after toppling a statue in Durham but had all charges dismissed or were acquitted.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

This story was originally published August 24, 2018 at 12:48 PM with the headline "UNC-Chapel Hill police charge 3 in the Silent Sam toppling; more arrests possible."