Jerry LambeMay 14th, 2021, 2:34 pm
The SUV, alleged to have been driven by Judge John Tyson, after nearly hitting protesters and running onto the sidewalk.
A state appellate court judge in North Carolina is allegedly under investigation after two community activists said they had to jump out of the way of his SUV to avoid being run over during a Black Lives Matter demonstration,
The Fayetteville Observerreported Thursday evening.
According to the report, several witnesses at the scene on May 7 identified Judge
John M. Tyson of the North Carolina Court of Appeals as the driver of the vehicle that nearly hit two protesters who were in the street at approximately 6:30 p.m. during last week’s demonstration near the Market House in downtown Fayetteville.
A criminal court summons was issued Friday for a state Appeals Court judge after a Fayetteville woman swore before a Cumberland County magistrate that he nearly hit her with his SUV.
Once served, the summons orders Judge John M. Tyson to appear in a Cumberland County courtroom next month to answer to a charge of assault with a deadly weapon. Myah Warren has said she was almost struck by the vehicle driven by Tyson while she was protesting near the Market House on May 7.
Warren said Friday that she gave a statement early that afternoon to the magistrate about what happened. She provided The Fayetteville Observer with a document called, “Court Witness Information.” It calls for her to appear in court as a witness on the charge for which the summons was issued. It lists Tyson as the defendant.
Two community activists say protesters near the Market House were nearly struck Friday by an SUV driven by a state Court of Appeals judge.
A Fayetteville Police Department spokesman said detectives are investigating whether a vehicle almost hit a pedestrian, but would not confirm that the incident involved Judge John M. Tyson, who serves on the Court of Appeals.
Mario Benavente, who was one of the protesters, said he saw two other protesters nearly get hit. He said he recognized the driver of the vehicle as Tyson.
Myah Warren, who also was protesting, said she and another protester had to jump out of the way to avoid being struck. She initially said the vehicle was driven by a judge and later identified the judge as Tyson.
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) As Fayetteville city leaders continue to discuss the fate of the historical Market House, a large group of the community has voiced their support to see the building remain in place.
Both options that Dawn Adkins-Hurley, a long-time Fayetteville resident, and other community members see as a threat to the National Historic Landmark. That was the first public library, that was the first health department, it was the first Fayetteville museum of arts, it was the first USO, Adkins-Hurley said.
Adkins-Hurley has been a strong advocate for protecting the Market House, since there were calls to tear it down during the George Floyd protests in the Summer of 2020. To take the history of a building that is almost 300 years old and to hold it accountable for a very small segment of time, 33 years out of 200.