Convicted felon brought axe, hatchet, more from North Carolina to protest at Emory, police say

WSBTV.com News Staff
·1 min read
24

Emory police are providing an update on arrests during protests on the university’s campus that started last week.

Protests in response to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war broke out on the quad at Emory University on Thursday. During the first day of protests, Emory police say 28 people were arrested, including at least two faculty members.

Since then, protesters have been on Emory’s campus each day.

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On Sunday, police say they gave six people criminal trespass warnings. They believe they are the people responsible for vandalizing the campus. None of them are affiliated with Emory.

Police are now announcing the arrest of Derek Zika from Statesville, North Carolina. Zika was arrested on the Emory Quad on Sunday afternoon with knives and a pepper spray canister.

When his car was searched on Monday, police found an axe, a hatchet and two more knives in a bag with other survival gear.

Investigators go on to say that Zika is a convicted felon who crossed state lines to come and protest.

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He is charged with criminal trespass, obstructing a law enforcement officer, possession of a weapon in a school safety zone, criminal trespass and crossing state lines with weapons, intoxicants or drugs.

According to jail records, Zika bonded out of the DeKalb County Jail just after midnight on Tuesday morning.

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Protests at multiple universities have popped up over the past week with groups setting up encampments after more than 100 protesters were arrested at Columbia University.

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