Sheriff pursuing felonies after Confederate statue torn down
DURHAM, N.C. - Protesters will face felony charges for toppling a nearly century-old Confederate statue in front of a North Carolina government building, the sheriff said Tuesday.
Durham County Sheriff Mike Andrews said some of the protesters who tore down the statue Monday had been identified, and investigators were preparing arrest warrants.
“Let me be clear. No one is getting away with what happened yesterday. We will find the people responsible,” Andrews said.
Law enforcement officers took video throughout the protest but didn’t intervene as protesters brought out a ladder, climbed up to attach a rope and then pulled the bronze Confederate soldier from its pedestal. After it fell, some began kicking the statue, while others took photos standing or sitting on it.
Andrews said his staff met with community leaders before the Durham demonstration, and he was aware of the potential for vandalism. But he said he used restraint because of the risk of injuries if deputies moved in.
“Had I ordered my deputies to engage a hostile crowd, there would have been serious injuries,” he said. “Statues can be replaced. Lives cannot.”
The Confederate Soldiers Monument, dedicated in 1924, stood in front of an old courthouse building that serves as local government offices. The crumpled and dented bronze figure has been taken to a warehouse for storage.