1. +
Tuesday, November 15, 2011 ■ +
SECTION B
Local&State
charlotteobserver.com/local
2B
LOWE’S PROFIT DROPS;
OUTLOOK DIMS
Mooresville-based home
improvement chain reports
disappointing quarter. 2B
LAKE NORMAN RAIL LINE POSSIBLE BY
2018 IF FUNDING COMES THROUGH
State transportation official tells Charlotte City
Council how commuter line could be paid for using
private- and public-sector money. 3B
LIVINGHEREA GUIDE FOR NEWCOMERS AND RESIDENTS.
CHARLOTTEOBSERVER.COM/LIVING_HERE_GUIDE
POLITICS
McCrory fundraiser will
feature Louisiana governor
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal is
coming to Charlotte next month to
raise money for Republican Pat
McCrory, who plans to launch his
second campaign for N.C. governor
early next year.
Jindal’s Dec. 7 visit will come little
more than a week after another
popular GOP governor, Chris Christie
of New Jersey, comes to North Caro-
lina to stump for McCrory. Christie
will join McCrory at a Nov. 28
Greensboro fundraiser.
Jindal will join McCrory at the
southeast Charlotte home of Barba-
ra and Joe Hallow. Tickets range
from $1,000 to $4,000. — JIM MORRILL
CHARLOTTE
Study starts on extra space
at main library uptown
Work began Monday on finding
options for all the space at Charlotte
Mecklenburg Library’s
157,000-square-foot main branch on
North Tryon Street.
A committee created to study the
building – which has nearly a floor
to spare – says it will start by col-
lecting data on how much rental
space is available elsewhere uptown.
It will also explore how much space
the county has to spare in its up-
town buildings. Results will be pre-
sented at the group’s next meeting
in December.
The committee was created to
find ways to deal with the main
branch, which saw its use diminish
when an 11,500-square-foot chil-
dren’s library was moved to nearby
ImaginOn in 2005. Annual atten-
dance has also dropped by a quarter
since 2009.The committee plans to
finish its report by April. — MARK PRICE
GASTON COUNTY
Hembree family, friends
testify in sentencing phase
Jurors heard from family and
friends of convicted killer Danny
Hembree on Monday as testimony
continued in the sentencing phase of
his murder trial. The testimony came
after a judge denied the defense’s
latest motion to have the verdict
thrown out.
Hembree was convicted last week
of killing 17-year-old Heather Catter-
ton and could face the death penal-
ty.
The defense called neighbors,
longtime friends and family, who
argued that Hembree should be
sentenced instead to life in prison.
“I’ve never had any problem out of
Danny. Right now, at this very min-
ute, he could come into my house
and have coffee,” neighbor Linda
Owens said.
Jurors also heard from Hembree’s
ex-wife, who called him an addict
and said he was a different person
when he was in prison versus when
he was out. — NEWS 14 CAROLINA
CHARLOTTE
Police seek suspect in
attack at woman’s home
A 27-year-old woman told police
that she was raped at knifepoint by
a man who was waiting inside her
northwest Charlotte home.
The incident happened at a home
off Osceola Lane around 9 p.m.
Saturday. Police told the Observer’s
news partner, WCNC-TV, that the
intruder got in through the rear
window of the woman’s house. When
the victim got home, the man sur-
prised her.
Police say the victim and suspect
did not know each other. The man
grabbed her around her neck and
used a knife to threaten her, police
said. The man had not been appre-
hended by late Monday.
Investigators encourage anyone
with information to call Crime Stop-
pers at 704-334-1600.
— CLEVE R. WOOTSON JR. AND WCNC-TV
AcrosstheRegionNews from Mecklenburg,
the region and the state at
charlotteobserver.com/local.
Here are the winning numbers
selected Monday.
N.C. Lottery
Carolina Pick 3
Midday: 4-8-1
Evening: 4-8-0
Carolina Pick 4
Midday: 2-8-1-2
Evening: 2-2-4-2
Carolina Cash 5
6-10-11-13-39
S.C. Lottery
Pick 3
Midday: 9-9-1
Evening: 8-9-6
Pick 4
Midday: 0-2-6-8
Evening: 5-9-6-5
Palmetto Cash 5
2-23-32-34-38
Power Up: 2
Lottery Results
By Ann Doss Helms
ahelms@charlotteobserver.com
Troubled Harding High hopes to
rally parents today to help create a
safe school that’s focused on learning.
At 6 p.m. at Harding, school board
Chairman Eric Davis and school ad-
ministrators will talk with families at
the school about what Charlotte-
Mecklenburg Schools is doing to deal
with the fights, rumors and fears that
have swirled since the westside
schoolopenedwithasignificantlydif-
ferent student body this year. Then
parents will get a chance to learn
about ways to get involved.
“They just can’t leave it to the
schools and the administration. Par-
ents have to be accountable for their
students’ behavior,” said parent Allen
Anderson, who chairs Harding’s
school leadership team.
Last year Harding was a magnet
school with about 900 students, all of
whom were there by choice and had
to meet academic standards for ad-
mission. Now it has almost 1,800 stu-
dents, most of them students for
whom Harding is now their assigned
home school – and who were moved
from the now-closed Waddell High
zone and the West Mecklenburg High
zone.
Anderson said about 600 are Inter-
national Baccalaureate magnet stu-
dents; about 90 of them have with-
drawn since the school year began.
Most of the new students behave
and want to learn, he said, but a small
portion are creating chaos and turn-
ing families away from a school that
last year was an academic standout.
“If my son wasn’t a senior, I would,
unfortunately, be taking him out as
well,” Anderson said Monday. “I feel
very bad for those parents and those
students who wanted to get into the
IB program, and they’re not getting
the bill of goods they were sold.”
Anderson, whose leadership team
Harding tries to rally parents
Meeting today is a chance to
talk with CMS officials about
school’s changes, problems.
SEE HARDING, 6B
By Jane Stancill
jstancill@newsobserver.com
CHAPEL HILL — A proposal for a
$2,800 in-state tuition increase ov-
er five years moved forward at
UNC Chapel Hill on Monday, de-
spite an alternate proposal by stu-
dent leaders who hoped to phase
in the hikes for future incoming
students.
In a split vote, an advisory task
force recommended a plan that
would raise tuition by $800, or 15.6
percent, in 2012-13 for North Caro-
linians. Out-of-state students
would see a 6.5 percent increase
next year.
But that would be only the be-
ginning of higher tuition bills. In
the following four years, in-state
students would pay a $583 sur-
charge on top of any annual per-
centage increases.
The proposal will go before the
UNC board of trustees later this
week. But already, some trustees
said the plan doesn’t go far enough
in raising tuition to bring in reve-
nue following several years of state
budget cuts, including an 18 per-
cent reduction in the current year.
“My concern is that it’s not suffi-
cient to meet the demands,” Wade
Hargrove, chairman of the trustee
board, said of the proposed in-
crease. “It seems to me we are fall-
ing behind.”
Several student protesters sat
around the conference room Mon-
day holding posters with slogans
such as “Education is a Right.”
If trustees approve the plan, it
would still have to go before the
UNC system’s board of governors.
UNC system leaders issued guide-
lines this year telling the state’s
public university campuses they
could request a 6.5 percent in-
crease in both tuition and fees. The
guidelines also allow a one-time
“catch-up” adjustment that would
push tuition more in line with that
of public peer campuses across the
nation.
Even with the proposed in-
crease, UNC’s tuition level would
remain in the lowest quarter of
similar public universities.
About 45 percent of the revenue
would be set aside to cover the cost
Higher
tuition at
UNC gets
backing
Plan raising in-state prices
by $2,800 over five years
now goes to trustees.
SEE TUITION, 4B
Nineronline.com
A group of student protesters calling themselves the Oc-
cupy UNC Charlotte movement has sought university ap-
proval to transform Belk Tower Plaza into a tent-filled ver-
sion of Wall Street’s Zuccotti Park.
Occupy UNC Charlotte’s immediate goal, as stated on
its Facebook page, is to fill the Belk Tower Plaza in the cen-
ter of campus with tents, at least 20 overnight protesters
and an around-the-clock information table that started
Monday.
Occupy UNC Charlotte was organized by UNCC fresh-
men Dylan Lehr and Sam Carey, senior Brett Hogan and
Concord retiree Don Faix, 65, after they all met at the Occu-
py Charlotte movement on uptown’s Trade Street.
The four have been recruiting with fliers and booming
shouts near Belk Tower for two weeks. Approximately 20
students attended each of their interest meetings.
Occupy UNC Charlotte hopes the tents bring attention
to the Occupy UNC Charlotte movement, which says it is
disgusted with corporate greed, political corruption and
the political irresponsibility of the wealthiest 1 percent of
the nation’s population.
“These tents are big. People are going to start asking
questions,” said Hogan, a political science major. “The stu-
dents can’t ignore this.”
Hogancontactedtheuniversityreservationsofficeseek-
ing approval of the protest early this week, but learned that
assembly in any of the university’s “plazas” is protected by
PHOTOS BY ROBERT LAHSER – rlahser@charlotteobserver.com
UNC Charlotte senior Brett Hogan, a political science major, sets up his tent. ”I’ve experienced the welfare system
firsthand, and it’s a system that’s broken,” Hogan said.
Protesters bring Occupy
movement to UNCC site
UNC Charlotte students have put up tents to camp out
as part of Occupy UNCC at the Belk Tower Plaza.
The goals are 20 overnight protesters in Belk
Tower Plaza and a 24-hour information table.
INSIDE
Chapel Hill officials defend tactics used in arrests. 4B
Charlotte City Council delays decision on camping. 4B
SEE UNCC, 4B
By Andrew Dunn
adunn@charlotteobserver.com
Scores of members of the state’s
business community will converge on
Charlotte this week for the Hispanic
Market Advantage conference, which
will explore the evolving role of the
Latino community.
The Observer talked Monday with
Astrid Chirinos, executive director of
the Latin American Chamber of Com-
merce of Charlotte, to talk about the
influence of the Latin American com-
munity on the Charlotte business
community. Her organization spon-
sors this year’s conference.
Responses have been edited for
space and clarity.
Q: What is the climate for Latin
American entrepreneurship in North
Carolina?
Like everywhere else, it has been
challenging for the last couple of
years because of the downturn in the
economy. But it is very positive right
now, especially because our region
has made quick changes in terms of
direction, from just focusing on the fi-
nancial sector to going into energy,
health care and other services.
The Latin American community
has always been very entrepreneurial,
for many, many, many
years. A lot of them
are entrepreneurial
because of their own
cultures. We come
from cultures where
you can only rely on
your work, on your
job. You always have
other options open because of the in-
stability of the government, because
of the instability of the economy. It is a
very natural transition for any new-
comer from Latin American coun-
tries coming to Charlotte or any-
where in the United States to start
their own business. It’s part of their
DNA.
Q: In the past 10 years, Charlotte
has seen tremendous growth in the
Latino community. Have Charlotte’s
workplaces been prepared?
The workplace still has challenges
trying to align that talent, that new-
comer talent, with the infrastructure
that is available right now. This is one
of the reasons why we’re doing this
conference, to be able to provide the
tools, the understanding, as well as
the expertise from other companies
and people who have been doing this
for a long time in terms of how to at-
Latin American Chamber to host Charlotte conference
Director says the region
offers many opportunities
for Hispanic entrepreneurs.
Chirinos
SEE CONFERENCE, 6B
INSIDE
Get more business news on 2B.

2. +
4B Tuesday, November 15, 2011 ■ ■ ■ charlotteobserver.com • The Charlotte Observer +LOCAL
Larry Hart, Sr., died November
14, 2011. Alexander Funeral
Home entrusted.
Walter C. Caskey
Mr. Caskey, age 101, passed away
Monday, November 14, 2011 at
Carolinas Medical Center Main.
He was born January 29, 1910
in Union County the son of the
late John W. Caskey and Emma
Rowell Caskey. He is preceded
in death by his first wife Ruth
Robinson Caskey, Brothers,
Yancey, Chalmers, Jack, Hoyte,
Bundy and Roy; and sister, Ila
Dobbs.
Mr. Caskey was a member of
Cokesbury United Methodist
Church and was active in the
International Sunday School
Class and Prime Time Senior
Group. He worked as a field
supervisor for G.G. Ray Roofing
and retired in 1975.
Surviving are his loving wife,
Billie Caskey; sons, Wayne C.
Caskey (Helen) and W. Douglas
Caskey (Robbie); step daughter,
Sharon Cousar (Kim); grandchil-
dren, Sheri Ewing (Tracy), Greg
Caskey (Sherry), Ryan Carpen-
ter (Daniel), Graham Cousar,
Emily Caskey, and Amanda Cas-
key; great-grandchildren, Emily
Carpenter and Jonathan Carpen-
ter; and numerous other loving
family members.
A funeral service will be held
at 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, No-
vember 16, 2011 at McEwen Fu-
neral Service, 5716 Monroe
Road, Charlotte, NC 28212 with
the Reverend Doctor Sarah Kal-
ish officiating. Interment will
follow in Sharon Memorial Park.
The family will receive friends
one hour prior to the funeral
service at the funeral home.
Condolences at www.McEw-
enfs.com. ✍
Sonya D. Campbell, 44, of
Charlotte, died November 5,
2011. Service Tuesday 2pm, Oak-
lawn Park Cemetery. Alexander
Funeral Home, Inc. entrusted.
Haley Silvadean
Overcash Brannon
‘‘Deanie’’
Mrs. Brannon, age 84, of David-
son, passed away peacefully on
November 13, 2011 at Serenity
House in Mooresville, N.C.
Deanie was born in Davidson
on December 20, 1926 to the late
William Burette Overcash and
Cecile Spencer Overcash. She
graduated from Davidson High
School where she was captain of
the basketball team. She was
among the early females to at-
tend Davidson College in 1944
and was a cheerleader there. Her
love for flower gardening led her
to become a charter member of
the Davidson Garden Club in
1957 where she was past presi-
dent and active for 46 years. She
was a member of Davidson
United Methodist Church since
1949 and received the Honorary
Life Membership pin in 1991. She
worked for the Federal Reserve
Bank, Withers Electric Company
and was a homemaker. Deanie
will be remembered as being
especially good-natured and an
unconditional loving person to
everyone.
Surviving are her husband for
64 years, William (Bill) Edward
Brannon, daughter Donna Pat-
terson and husband Larry Pat-
terson of Davidson and son Jim
Brannon and wife Lucy of Hunt-
ersville, N. C. Also surviving are
grandson Jonathan Patterson
and granddaughters Blair Bran-
non and Jessica Brannon, broth-
ers Ray Overcash and wife Mar-
garet of New London, N. C. and
Bobby Overcash and wife Pearl
of Concord, N.C. She was pre-
ceded in death by brother Char-
lie Overcash.
A memorial service will be
held at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday,
November 19, 2011 at Davidson
United Methodist Church with
Rev. Jody Seymour and Rev.
Berta Spencer officiating. The
family will receive friends in the
Fellowship Hall following the
service.
Deanie’s family extend their
heartfelt thanks to Dr. William
Flannery, doctors and nurses at
Presbyterian Hospital Hunters-
ville, Lake Norman Hospice and
Serenity House for their kind
and compassionate care. Memo-
rials may be made to the Seren-
ity House, 110 Centre Church
Rd., Mooresville, NC 28117, or to
the charity of one’s choice.
Samuel S. James Funeral Ser-
vice Lic. of Huntersville is serv-
ing the family. ✍
Mecklenburg
George MacBain III
George MacBain III, 89, of Char-
lotte, NC died November 13, 2011
at Presbyterian Hospital after a
gradual decline in his health. A
native of Roanoke, Virginia, he
was the only child of the late
George MacBain Jr. and Marie
Faust MacBain.
Mr. MacBain graduated from
the Mercersburg Academy in
Mercersburg, Pa. in 1941. He
enlisted in the US Army Air
Corps and became a flight in-
structor at Freeman Army Air-
field in Seymour, Indiana. He
served his country during World
War II as a B-17 pilot stationed in
Europe. George was a member
of the 8th Air Force, 401st
Bomber Group, 612 Squadron,
1st Division and flew thirty suc-
cessful missions over Germany.
Upon completion of his military
service, he returned to the States
and attended the University of
Virginia on the GI Bill. George
was a member of the SAE frater-
nity and graduated from the
McIntyre School of Commerce
at UVA in 1949.
Mr. MacBain went to work for
the United States Gypsum Co. in
1949 beginning his career in
Lynchburg, Virginia. It was there
that he met the love of his life,
the former Beverley Ann Lang to
whom he was married for 58
years. He was later transferred
to Newport News, Va., Rich-
mond, Va. and finally to Char-
lotte in 1964 where he retired as
Regional Sales Manager in 1988
after a 39-year career.
Mr. MacBain was a member of
Myers Park Presbyterian
Church and served as Deacon
and Elder. He was an active
member of the Charlotte East
Rotary Club, the Olde Provi-
dence Racquet Club, The Char-
lotte Sportsman Club and the
Saint Andrews Society of Char-
lotte. In his retirement years he
was a devoted volunteer at Cri-
sis Assistance Ministry and
Friendship Trays.
Mr. MacBain is survived by his
wife Bev and their two sons:
Lang MacBain and his wife Ra-
chel Stanley MacBain of Char-
lotte and their two boys Taylor
and Charlie; and George Mac-
Bain IV and his wife Carter
Brooks MacBain of Charlotte
and their two boys Will and Ben.
He is also survived by his sister-
in-law Gwen Smith and husband
Karl of Bristol, Tenn., cousin Jim
McKenry and wife Susan of Va.
Beach, Va., cousin Mrs. Hugh
Swingle of Johnson City, Tenn.,
and many nieces and nephews.
‘‘Big G’’ will be sorely missed
by his loving family and his
many wonderful friends. He was
an exceptionally kind person,
was quick with a cute joke and
was oh so smooth on the dance
floor! He was a life long sup-
porter of ‘‘The University’’ and
relished friendly bantering with
his fellow ACC buddies. He was
a true Virginia Gentleman!
A service to celebrate the life
of George MacBain will be held
at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, No-
vember 17, 2011 at Myers Park
Presbyterian Church with the
Reverend Steve Eason officiat-
ing with reception to follow.
Interment will be private. The
family will receive friends at
Carter and George’s home on
Wednesday the 16th of Novem-
ber from 5:30-7:30 p.m.
The family would like to thank
all of the wonderful people at
Presbyterian Hospital and Pres-
byterian Hospice for their unwa-
vering care and attention to Mr.
MacBain.
Memorials may be made to:
Myers Park Presbyterian
Church, 2501 Oxford Place,
Charlotte, NC 28207; or to Crisis
Assistance Ministry, 500 Spratt
Street, Charlotte, NC 28206.
Arrangements are in the care
of Hankins & Whittington Fu-
neral Service; please share con-
dolences online at www.hankin-
swhittington.com. ✍
Robert Lee Cranmer
Robert Lee Cranmer, 49, of Gas-
tonia, passed away November 11,
2011. He was born March 7, 1962
in Charlotte to William Cranmer
and the late Barbara F. Cranmer.
Robert loved to cook and en-
tertain his friends and family.
Robert is survived by his long
time companion; Debbie Strick-
land; sister, Michie Cranmer
Faina and husband, Richard of
Duluth, GA; brother, Doug Cran-
mer of Charlotte; niece, Trinity
Johnson; nephews, Ryan Cran-
mer and Neal Cranmer; aunt,
Sally White of Chesapeake, VA;
three great-nieces; and one
great-nephew.
A memorial service will be
held 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, No-
vember 16, 2011 in the chapel of
Harry & Bryant Company, 500
Providence Road, Charlotte. The
family will receive friends fol-
lowing the service at Harry &
Bryant Co.
In lieu of flowers, it was Rob’s
request to have donations be
made to Second Harvest Food
Bank, 500 Spratt St. #B, Char-
lotte, NC 28206.
Online condolences may be
expressed at www.harryandbry-
antfuneralhome.com. ✍
university policy.
The informal reservation
sparked a dialogue with the uni-
versity’s student affairs depart-
ment, which said it prefers that
students make use of the Atkins
Library’s facilities, which are
open around the clock, and pro-
gram the police dispatch’s num-
ber into their cellular phones in
case of trouble.
The university also asked for
a list of participants, which will
be shared with campus police.
The campus police officers
do not plan to make any major
changes in their daily routine.
“Our staffing levels are low
now. We can’t supply them
24-hour security service there
on the Belk Quad,” UNC Char-
lotte Campus Police Sgt.
Shawn Smith said. “Of course
our officers are here 24/7, but
we can’t dedicate an officer to
them because we can’t afford
the overtime and that kind of
thing.
“We want it to remain a
peaceful protest,” Smith said.
“We don’t want to go up there
and have to deal with things
that may happen like at Penn
State where they went through
the streets and were setting
stuff on fire.”
Campus police expect stu-
dents to be conscientious of
Belk Tower Plaza’s upkeep.
“They’re paying good mon-
ey to come to this university,
and the university keeps a nice
façade and nice amenities for
the students, and we expect
them to respect that and not
damage anything,” Smith said.
— OBSERVER STAFF WRITER CLEVE R.
WOOTSON JR. CONTRIBUTED.
UNCC
• from 1B
for financially needy students, leaving $15
million next year that the university could
spend on pay raises for faculty and new
hires to add course sections and seats lost
in the budget cuts.
“We’ve got to have the ability to give fac-
ulty a raise, and we’ve got to get a sense of
optimism among faculty employees about
the direction of UNC Chapel Hill if we
want to maintain everything that we have
built,” said UNC Chancellor Holden
Thorp, who spoke to the panel before its
deliberations.
Thorp said the most stark measure he’s
seen is UNC’s fall from 35th to 59th in three
years in the faculty resources category in
the U.S. News & World Report rankings.
“We just simply can’t afford to do that
anymore,” Thorp said. “I wish I could
think of a way to fund these things other
than to increase tuition.”
Student leaders worked quickly in the
past week to put together an alternative to
the $2,800 increase.
In a plan put forth by Student Body
President Mary Cooper, tuition would rise
6.4 percent for in-state students and 4 per-
cent for out-of-state students. But incom-
ing first-year students would pay a 5 per-
cent supplemental increase.
Looking out for everyone
Some questioned a plan that would have
freshmen paying more than sophomores,
juniors and seniors. But Cooper said phas-
ing in the increase for new students in the
next few years would be fairer to current
students and yet give future students pre-
dictability of cost.
She asked the task force to remember
that financial aid would protect some stu-
dents, but not others.
“A lot of times it’s the students who are
right on the border – middle income, mid-
dle GPA students. I’m calling them the si-
lenced demographic. … They’re the stu-
dents who are right now working three
part-time jobs because they otherwise will
not be able to afford this university.”
Michael Bertucci, chief of staff for the
Graduate and Professional Student Feder-
ation, said students are willing to pay
more, but the amount should be reason-
able.
“We want to maintain the quality of the
education, but we can only go so far,” he
said.
Bruce Carney, the provost, presented a
chart that showed that UNC was losing
star faculty to other universities at an in-
creasing rate.
“I view this with alarm,” he said, calling
the other universities “predators.”
The tuition debate will continue this
week when trustees meet in Chapel Hill
on Wednesday and Thursday. The UNC
Board of Governors will take up campus
requests for increases early next year.
“It’s a brutal reality,” said Hargrove, the
trustee chairman. “We are in an era of
shared sacrifices, and there is no end in
sight.”
Stancill: 919-829-4559
TUITION
• from 1B
HARRY LYNCH - hlynch@newsobserver.com
UNC students make their way across campus Monday. Student leaders have
presented an alternative proposal for increasing tuition at Chapel Hill.
By Katelyn Ferral
and Lana Douglas
kferral@newsobserver.com
CHAPEL HILL — Town officials
say they were justified in using
a tactical squad of officers
armed with semi-automatic
weapons Sunday to remove
squatters from a private down-
town Chapel Hill building.
At a press conference Mon-
day, Chapel Hill Police Chief
Chris Blue and Chapel Hill May-
or Mark Kleinschmidt said the
group was distributing riot liter-
ature and could have posed a
threat to officers. The group in-
cluded anarchists, some affiliat-
ed with Occupy Chapel Hill, but
the group did not represent the
Occupy Chapel Hill encamp-
ment downtown.
“We believe this was pru-
dent, reasonable, and appro-
priate given what we knew,”
Blue said.
Police learned that the build-
ing, a vacant car dealership,
which once housed University
Chrysler and Yates Motor Co.,
had been taken over by about
70 people Saturday night after
an anarchist book fair down-
town, Blue said. Several offi-
cers entered the building and
were approached in a “threat-
ening” manner by some in the
group who were wearing
hoods and masks and chanting
obscenities, he said.
“Based on the known risks
associated with anarchist
groups, the tactics employed in
the Yates building, and the un-
known presence of weapons,
the Chapel Hill Police Depart-
ment utilized its tactical team
to safely secure and enter the
building and arrest the illegal
occupants,” he said.
Police also learned that the
occupiers were distributing lit-
erature that included instruc-
tions on how to flip a police car,
break windows, and use fire to
create space between police
and suspects, Blue said.
“I do not know the inten-
tions of the group with regard
to those materials, but they
certainly posed a risk to offi-
cers who entered the building,”
he said.
After watching the group for
18 hours overnight, and after the
size of the group decreased, po-
lice decided to move in with a
tactical squad of about 15 offi-
cers, with backup from the Carr-
boro Police Department and
UNC-Chapel Hill public safety
officers, he said.
Police wanted to act “quick-
ly and decisively” to clear the
building and minimize any po-
tential conflict or violence
with demonstrators, Blue said.
“It is not a response we take
lightly, but we do feel it was ap-
propriate,” he said.
Officers detained about a
dozen and arrested seven,
charging them with misde-
meanor breaking and entering.
All seven were released from
custody Sunday on a written
promise to appear in court.
After the arrests Sunday, po-
lice discovered a bag of rocks
in the building and some flam-
mable materials, Blue said. No
one who was arrested or de-
tained was armed, he said.
Kleinschmidt and Blue read
from statements at the press
conference and took questions
from reporters. A small protest
of about six people stood in the
back, holding signs that read
“cops = army of the rich” and
shouted out questions as the
two men explained why police
swept the building and pointed
weapons at those standing out-
side and inside.
Several statements about
why the town responded as it
did elicited laughs and hissing
from protesters. Town officials
threatened to remove several
hecklers.
Blue said police are investi-
gating why officers also cuffed
and detained two reporters,
News & Observer staffer Kate-
lyn Ferral and freelance writer
Josh Davis, during Sunday’s
raid. The News & Observer
has requested police rules re-
garding treatment of the media
in protest situations.
Kleinschmidt said the town
supports the rights of individu-
als to protest peacefully but
must step in when a group
breaks the law.
“The actions were not un-
reasonable,” Kleinschmidt
said. “We had breaking and en-
tering of private property
downtown, the government
has to respond. … I believe our
response to this break-in was
the right one,” Kleinschmidt
said.
Police and Kleinschmidt
said they intend to allow the
roughly dozen tents in the Oc-
cupy Chapel Hill movement to
remain outside the downtown
post office as long as that
group allows access to the
building.
Police have no estimate yet
on the cost of Sunday’s raid.
The former car dealership
building at 419 W. Franklin St. is
owned by Fayetteville business-
man Joe Riddle and has stood
empty for many years. The town
condemned it Monday as unfit
for human habitation.
Ferral: 919-932-8746
Chapel Hill officials defend
tactics used in arrests Sunday
PHOTOS BY SHAWN ROCCO - srocco@newsobserver.com
Mike Sullivan carries wood Monday from inside the former University Chrysler building in
Chapel Hill to board up the windows from the outside.
Alex Hollyer, 24, stitches a patch onto his jacket at the Occupy
Chapel Hill encampment at the Franklin Street post office.