The UNC Police Department charged an Orange County resident, who is not affiliated with the university, for drug possession and resisting arrest on Monday night.

Public safety officials shared a statement on Wednesday afternoon confirming the incident to the campus community, saying UNC Police officers responded to a complaint of drug use near the entrance to the Undergraduate Library. Upon arrival, police say 26-year-old Darius Allen was using drugs and initially resisted arrest by the officers. Allen was charged with marijuana possession and resisting arrest before being referred to the Orange County Detention Center.

The incident earned reaction on social media Tuesday after The Daily Tar Heel reported a video of the incident showed an officer knelt on Allen’s back during detainment. The mentioned video has not been published publicly by the student newspaper. On Wednesday, UNC Police Chief Brian James said in a letter to campus that he’s conducted an initial review of arrest footage, which is protocol for the department, and that the responding officers broke no departmental policies. A spokesperson for the UNC Police later confirmed the reviewed arrest footage is from body cameras of the responding officers.

The UNC Police Department’s protocols for use of force state officers “must consider the proportionality of the use of force that is necessary to effectively bring an incident under control, while protecting the lives and safety of everyone involved in the incident.” The protocols also say the department follows outlines set by state laws when it comes to use of force, meaning a law enforcement officer is “authorized to use non-deadly force upon another person when the force is, or reasonably believes to be necessary.”

UNC Police’s use of force policies, which originated in March 2020 before becoming effective in their current form in September 2020, do not have any explicit bans against kneeling on arrest subjects. Wednesday’s statement did not indicate whether officers did use force while detaining Allen on Monday.

James and UNC’s Vice Chancellor of Institutional Integrity and Risk Management George Battle also wrote to inform campus community members of a sexual assault reported on October 22. As stated in a prior Alert Carolina message, an unidentified male followed a UNC student to their room in Carmichael Residence Hall before assaulting them and fleeing the scene. Wednesday’s letter said police are continuing to investigate the incident, with other Carmichael Hall residents receiving communication, resources and safety tips from Carolina Housing.

James and Battle said anyone with more information on either Monday’s drug possession arrest or Saturday’s sexual assault is encouraged to contact campus authorities. The pair’s letter said to call UNC Police by calling 911 in an emergency or 919-962-8100 for non-emergency assistance. Those who wish to remain anonymous can also use the Chapel Hill-Carrboro-UNC CrimeStoppers hotline at 919-942-7515.

 

Photo via Jon Gardiner/UNC-Chapel Hill.

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our biweekly newsletter.

 

Related Stories
‹
Police: String of Vehicle Break-Ins Reported at UNC
A recent rash of vehicle break-ins led the UNC Police Department to issue an Alert Carolina to the campus community on Wednesday.
UNC Police Receive Report of 'Unwanted Sexual Touching' on Bus
The UNC Police Department issued an Alert Carolina message on Thursday night to the campus community, sharing details of an “unwanted sexual touching” that happened two days prior. The message said a campus security authority received a report and the incident happened on Tuesday, January 10 on a Chapel Hill Transit bus. The vehicle was […]
UNC Police Investigating Sexual Assault Report in Residence Hall
Editor’s Note: The following story contains mention of sexual assault that may be disturbing to some readers. The UNC Police Department is investigating a report of sexual assault, where an unidentified person purportedly followed a student into their dorm room. The university shared an Alert Carolina message on Saturday at 10:47 p.m. to inform the […]
UNC Police Investigating Thefts From Backpacks in Biology Buildings
The UNC Police Department is urging students and campus community members to keep an eye on their belongings after reports of thefts in several academic halls. An Alert Carolina message shared on Monday afternoon said police are investigating multiple larcenies and attempted larcenies in four buildings: Fordham Hall, Wilson Hall, Coker Hall, and the Genome […]
UNC Police Investigating Reports of Larceny at First-Year Dorm
The UNC Police Department is seeking the public’s help in its investigation of recent reports of larceny and break-ins at Hinton James Residence Hall. UNC shared an Alert Carolina message with its campus community on Thursday shortly before 7 p.m., saying three reports of such incidents at the freshman dorm, which is located off Manning […]
UNC Clears Carrington Hall After Receiving Bomb Threat
Just one week before UNC undergraduate students begin their fall semester, the university evacuated a facility over a bomb threat. The university police department shared a statement Monday afternoon saying UNC received a bomb threat at Carrington Hall around 12:46 p.m. The pair of buildings, which are home to the School of Nursing off South […]
UNC Taps Greensboro Chief as New Head of Campus Police
UNC announced Brian James, the current Chief of the Greensboro Police Department, is going to be its next campus police chief. The university shared the selection through a Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz letter sent to the campus community Friday morning. James, who said earlier this year he would be retiring from his position in Greensboro after […]
UNC Police: 'Multiple' Scooter, Bike Thefts on Reported Campus in October
At least seven reports of stolen e-scooters, bicycles, and e-bikes in the month of October led UNC Police to issue a campus-wide alert.
UNC Police Ask Public For Help While Searching For Assault Suspect
The UNC Police Department shared Wednesday it is searching for a suspect in an assault that reportedly took place at the Old Well on Tuesday, Oct. 7. Campus police shared a pair of photos of the suspect on its social media accounts, showing them wearing a mask and holding a rainbow umbrella. According to UNC […]
UNC Warns of Vehicle Break-Ins at SECU Family House, Friday Center Park and Ride
A string of vehicle break-ins reported at two university properties in Chapel Hill led UNC Police to alert the public on Wednesday afternoon.
›