UNC Wrestler Charged With Felony Assault, Suspended from Team

UNC wrestler Jace Palmer has been charged with felony aggravated assault after punching a fellow student.

An incident report from the Chapel Hill Police Department says the assault took place on Monday afternoon at 828 Purefoy Road in Chapel Hill, near the intersection with Howell Street south of the UNC campus.

According to court records, Palmer turned himself over to authorities on Wednesday morning and immediately posted his $5,000 bond. He faces one charge of felony assault inflicting serious bodily injury. The arrest warrant for the charge states Palmer punched UNC student Kevin Andrew O’Brien, “causing significant damage to two teeth.”

In wake of the incident, the UNC wrestling program has suspended Palmer. A redshirt junior from Casper, WY, Palmer has competed for the Tar Heels for the last three seasons.

“We are cooperating with all relevant authorities,” UNC senior associate athletic director Robbi Pickeral Evans said in a statement shared with Chapelboro. “We expect all of our student-athletes to abide by all laws and serve as positive members of our campus community.”

The UNC wrestling program’s 2024-25 season begins on Saturday when the Tar Heels take on Drexel and Navy in Annapolis, MD.

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