HILLSBOROUGH, N.C. _ Orange County officials resolved two cases Thursday against people charged with simple assault during a Silent Sam Confederate statue protest in August on the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill campus.
John Quick, 35, of Carrboro, pleaded guilty in Orange County District Court to misdemeanor simple assault as part of a deferred prosecution agreement. The agreement requires him to complete 24 hours of community service and stay out of trouble for six months.
If Quick meets the conditions, his charge will be dropped at a March hearing, his attorney, Tom Cadwallader, said.
A simple assault charge against Dannielle Shochet, 47, of Raleigh, was dismissed, Cadwallader said.
Both were charged at an Aug. 25 protest held in opposition to a planned Confederate rally, five days after the Aug. 20 toppling of the Silent Sam statue.
The UNC Board of Governors has until Nov. 15 to offer solutions to the Silent Sam issue.
Members of Defend UNC were in court Thursday morning to support six defendants facing charges, including Shochet and quick. The other defendants will return to District Court on Oct. 9:
_ Jody Anderson, 21, who is charged with assault on a government official
_ Jaya Athavale, 18, who is charged with resisting a public officer and failure to disperse
_ Joseph Karlik, 27, who is charged with resisting a public officer and failure to disperse
_ Christopher Wells, 30, who is charged with resisting a public officer and failure to disperse
Karlik was one of eight people charged in the toppling of a Confederate statue in downtown Durham in August 2017. Durham County District Attorney Roger Echols dismissed the charges against him and four others in February after a judge acquitted one suspect and dismissed charges against two others.
At least 26 people have now been charged in connection with Silent Sam protests on the UNC campus on Aug. 20, 25, 30 and Sept 8.
The group moved Thursday afternoon from the courthouse to UNC's campus for a Speakout Against Police Brutality at the South Building, where they planned to give student demands to the UNC administration. Supporters also were encouraged to call District Attorney Jim Woodall's office Thursday and demand that he drop all charges against the protesters.
The speakout and call-in also were sponsored by UNC Students Against Police Brutality, UNC students of the Silent Sam Sit-In, Campus Y and the Workers' Union at UNC.
