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:2025-04-13 04:30:26
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 at[email protected].
veryGood! (9162)
Related
- A Mississippi company is sentenced for mislabeling cheap seafood as premium local fish
- Mike Tyson Suffers Medical Emergency on Flight to Los Angeles
- The Other Border Dispute Is Over an 80-Year-Old Water Treaty
- 81-year-old arrested after police say he terrorized a California neighborhood with a slingshot
- Person accused of accosting Rep. Nancy Mace at Capitol pleads not guilty to assault charge
- Credit report errors are more common than you think. Here's how to dispute one
- Former ‘General Hospital’ actor Johnny Wactor killed in downtown Los Angeles shooting
- Batting nearly .400 with Padres, hitting wizard Luis Arráez has been better than advertised
- What were Tom Selleck's juicy final 'Blue Bloods' words in Reagan family
- Trump, RFK Jr. face hostile reception at Libertarian convention amid efforts to sway voters
Ranking
- Illinois governor calls for resignation of sheriff whose deputy fatally shot Black woman in her home
- Farmworkers face high-risk exposures to bird flu, but testing isn’t reaching them
- Mother pushes 2-year-old girl to safety just before fatal crash at Michigan drag race
- 4 Wisconsin teenagers killed in early morning truck crash
- Euphoria's Hunter Schafer Says Ex Dominic Fike Cheated on Her Before Breakup
- For American clergy, the burdens of their calling increasingly threaten mental well-being
- European space telescope photos reveal new insights in deep space
- Johnny Wactor, 'General Hospital' actor, shot and killed at 37: Reports
Recommendation
The GOP and Kansas’ Democratic governor ousted targeted lawmakers in the state’s primary
Major retailers are offering summer deals to entice inflation-weary shoppers
Stock market today: Asian shares are mixed after US holiday quiet
Biden says each generation has to ‘earn’ freedom, in solemn Memorial Day remarks
Hidden Home Gems From Kohl's That Will Give Your Space a Stylish Refresh for Less
South Louisiana authorities search for 2 of 4 men who escaped parish jail
China has threatened trade with some countries after feuds. They’re calling ‘the firm’ for help
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's Romantic Dates Prove They're on a Winning Streak