STATESVILLE, N.C. — UPDATE: On Sept. 23, police in Statesville said they identified the person who placed a hanging doll near a Black city councilwoman’s campaign sign, but no charges will be filed.
The Statesville Police Department said on Tuesday that the person who placed the doll was identified as a 23-year-old Black man, and he told investigators he hung the doll as a Halloween prank.
The man who placed the hanging doll issued an apology to the councilwoman.
Earlier
Police in Statesville say they’re investigating a possible hate crime after a doll was found hanging from a street sign with a rope around its neck.
The doll was placed just above an election sign for Ward 3 City Council Representative Doris Allison, who is a Black woman.
Statesville police say the doll was found hanging near Wilson Lee Boulevard and Fayetteville Avenue, and the property owner told officers they believe the doll was “intentionally placed at this location to target Allison and represented a hate crime.”
Allison was the first Black woman to be elected to Statesville City Council when she first took office in 2017. She’s currently campaigning for re-election.
The Statesville Police Department says it’s collaborating with the FBI to investigate the incident. No suspects have been identified at this time.
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