Twenty-year-old DeAndre Harris of Charlottesville, Va., has had all felony charges dropped in connection with an alleged attack during August’s white supremacist rally where he was actually beaten by poles in a parking lot.
Harris was charged with unlawful wounding in connection to an incident that took place the same day. In October, when the charges were filed, Harris’ attorney S. Lee Merritt said that the charges were retaliatory in the aftermath of several men being arrested in connection with Harris’ beating.
Although the felony charges were dropped against Harris, there are still misdemeanor charges pending, but they don’t carry jail time.
“In an atmosphere where it is now clear law enforcement was instructed to stand down and allow violent supremacists to attack civilians, it seems only appropriate the city of Charlottesville reduce the demonstratively unjust charges against Mr. Harris, and we encourage the city to go even further with a total dismissal,” Merritt, a The Root 100 2017 honoree, told The Root.
“All taxpayer resources should be directed toward the common goal of identifying and prosecuting the domestic terrorist that attacked Harris and others and continues to devise plots against the people of Charlottesville,” Merritt continued.
Daniel Borden and Alex Michael Ramos were eventually arrested in connection with Harris’ beating.
“They were beating me with poles. I have eight staples in my head, a broken wrist and a chipped tooth,” Harris told The Root a day after he was beaten.