NC sheriff considering charge against Trump for ‘inciting a riot’

A sheriff in North Carolina is investigating whether Donald Trump’s conduct at a rally last week rises to the level of inciting a riot.

Sean Swain, public information office for the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office, said in a statement released through its general counsel, “We are continuing to look at the totality of these circumstances, including any additional charges against Mr. McGraw, including the potential of whether there was conduct on the part of Mr. Trump or the Trump campaign which rose to the level of inciting a riot, and including the actions or inactions of our deputies.”

North Carolina law says that “any person who willfully incites or urges another to engage in a riot, so that as a result of such inciting or urging a riot occurs or a clear and present danger of a riot is created, is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.”

It defines a riot as “a public disturbance involving an assemblage of three or more persons which by disorderly and violent conduct, or the imminent threat of disorderly and violent conduct, results in injury or damage to persons or property or creates a clear and present danger of injury or damage to persons or property.”

At the Fayetteville event, there were multiple disruptions from protesters during Trump’s speech. At one point after one protester was escorted out, Trump said, “In the good old days, this doesn’t happen, because they used to treat them very, very rough. And when they protested once, you know, they would not do it again so easily. But today they walk in and they put their hand up and they put their wrong finger in the air at everybody. And they get away with murder, because we have become weak.”

At the event, a protester was “sucker punched” in the face as authorities escorted him out.

John Franklin McGraw was arrested on Thursday, the morning after the rally in Fayetteville, and charged with assaulting Rakeem Jones of Fayetteville,as well as disorderly conduct. After reviewing video, investigators later charged McGraw with communicating threats.

Authorities said that “while reviewing video that was taken at the Crown Coliseum during the event found that McGraw made statements to threatening Jones stating that he enjoyed hitting ‘that loudmouth’ … who was ‘not acting like an American,’ and threatening next time ‘to kill him.’ ”

A court date has been set for April 6.