Current:Home > ScamsAtlanta man arrested after driving nearly 3 hours to take down Confederate flag in SC: Officials -AssetLink
Atlanta man arrested after driving nearly 3 hours to take down Confederate flag in SC: Officials
View
Date:2025-04-17 08:56:22
An Atlanta man is facing a trespassing charge after authorities said he drove nearly three hours to South Carolina to vandalize a Confederate battle flag.
The incident happened on Saturday in Spartanburg, South Carolina, about 33 miles northeast of Greenville, according to a document filed by the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office.
Someone called the sheriff’s office that day about trespassing on Interstate 85 southbound at the 76 mile marker, the document reads. A deputy arrived and spoke to a witness who said the 23-year-old man climbed a fence and tried to lower a Confederate flag.
The deputy spoke to the man, who admitted he climbed the fence because he does not agree with the Confederate flag.
The deputy said the man also had tools such as a Dremel and drill bits.
The deputy wrote there are "no trespassing" signs along the fence that the man climbed over, adding that a day before the flag incident, someone vandalized the same Confederate flag.
When the deputy asked the man if he had been on the property that Friday night, he said he had not. He did, however, admit to driving from Atlanta to Spartanburg County to lower the flag.
“Daniel was very upfront and cooperative during questioning,” the deputy wrote.
The man was arrested, taken to jail and issued a ticket for trespassing.
“The tools and Daniels cell phone were seized for evidence purposes for both the trespassing and vandalism,” the deputy wrote.
The flag was originally erected by the Sons of Confederate Veterans in 2022, according to television station Fox 5 Atlanta. The organization's Spartanburg chapter owns the property.
According to a spokesperson for the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office, the flag the man tried to take down is the Confederate battle flag.
The meaning of the Confederate flag
The Confederate flag was flown during the Civil War when the following states separated themselves from the nation in the defense of slavery: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.
Today, while the flag represents racism to some Americans, others recognize it as a sign of their heritage.
Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY's NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Follow her on Twitter at@SaleenMartin or email her atsdmartin@usatoday.com.
veryGood! (99)
Related
- Sonya Massey's father decries possible release of former deputy charged with her death
- Ron DeSantis wasn't always a COVID rebel: Looking back at the Florida governor's initial pandemic response
- Coastal Flooding Is Erasing Billions in Property Value as Sea Level Rises. That’s Bad News for Cities.
- Which type of eye doctor do you need? Optometrists and ophthalmologists face off
- Tony Hawk drops in on Paris skateboarding and pushes for more styles of sport in LA 2028
- Midwest Convenience Stores Out in Front on Electric Car Charging
- One state looks to get kids in crisis out of the ER — and back home
- 86-year-old returns George Orwell's 1984 to library 65 years late, saying it needs to be read more than ever
- Taylor Swift Cancels Austria Concerts After Confirmation of Planned Terrorist Attack
- 'All the Beauty and the Bloodshed' chronicles Nan Goldin's career of art and activism
Ranking
- Brianna LaPaglia Reveals The Meaning Behind Her "Chickenfry" Nickname
- Millions of Google search users can now claim settlement money. Here's how.
- The Biggest Bombshells From Anna Nicole Smith: You Don't Know Me
- Beyoncé single-handedly raised a country's inflation
- Why Sean "Diddy" Combs Is Being Given a Laptop in Jail Amid Witness Intimidation Fears
- Comedian Andy Smart Dies Unexpectedly at Age 63: Eddie Izzard and More Pay Tribute
- Is Trump’s USDA Ready to Address Climate Change? There are Hopeful Signs.
- DOE Explores a New Frontier In Quest for Cheaper Solar Panels
Recommendation
Kehlani Responds to Hurtful Accusation She’s in a Cult
House Bill Would Cut Clean Energy and Efficiency Programs by 40 Percent
Woman arrested after allegedly shooting Pennsylvania district attorney in his office
Are there places you should still mask in, forever? Three experts weigh in
Small twin
A new, experimental approach to male birth control immobilizes sperm
Prosecution, defense rest in Pittsburgh synagogue shooting trial
Ron DeSantis wasn't always a COVID rebel: Looking back at the Florida governor's initial pandemic response