A couple of weeks ago, the Virginia Law Weekly published a letter from a UVA law student alleging that he was a victim of police misconduct and racial profiling. Johnathan Perkins—who is black—provided a detailed story about how he was stopped by two white university police officers, questioned and searched, and when he asked for their badge numbers, they refused to tell him. Now he admits that he made it all up, Sharon Fitzgerald writes in the Daily Progress. The 25-year-old says that he “wrote the article to bring attention to the topic of police misconduct,” but that “the events in the article did not occur.” UVA police had opened an investigation in the matter, but as they looked into dispatch records and tapes of radio calls, they found that his story didn’t add up. Perkins will not be charged with filing a false police report, says Chief Michael Gibson, because the department doesn’t want to inhibit people from coming forward with legitimate claims of misconduct.
Sideblog
Police announced this afternoon that their investigation into what was initially believed to be a fatal fire on Rugby Avenue is now a homicide investigation. #
The Virginia Supreme Court has denied George Huguely’s appeal. His second-degree murder conviction will stand, WRIC reports. #
In a carefully worded story, and not citing specific sources, WTVR reports that forensic evidence belonging to Jesse Matthew Jr., the main suspect in the disappearance of Hannah Graham, matches forensic evidence collected during the investigation of Morgan Harrington’s 2009 murder. #
In the wake of Hannah Graham’s disappearance, and the evidence that came from private security footage, city officials are revisiting the question of installing security cameras on the downtown mall. #
Both Charlottesville Registrar Sheri Iachetta and former Electoral Board member Stephanie Commander have turned themselves in to the police on
foursix and four felony counts of embezzlement, respectively. #Ten years ago, the National Institutes of Health budget doubled and schools like the University of Virginia built massive new research facilities. A decade later, those buildings remain largely underutilized. NPR visits UVA in this story on the effect of federal binge and spurge spending in the sciences. #
In 2012, Council approved a new student housing complex on West Main—now some council members are questioning whether what they were shown matches what was built. #
The Architectural Review Board has approved a bike-themed mural on West Market, below the McGuffey Art Center, although at least one member expressed concerns that it might look like the bicyclists were riding away from Charlottesville’s downtown. #
City Police Chief Tim Longo is meeting with city leaders to work on protocols regarding the use of military surplus police weapons in Charlottesville. #
A 100-year-old Colonnades resident received military honors for her service in the WWII Women’s Army Corps #
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