IFN Staff

The Statesville Police Department has identified the individual who hung a doll near a Statesville city councilwoman’s campaign sign and determined the incident was a prank — not a hate crime.

Police investigators reviewed video footage from several nearby cameras to identify several vehicles traveling on Wilson Lee Boulevard at Fayetteville Avenue on the morning of Monday, September 15, when the doll was hanged from a street sign above a campaign sign for Councilwoman Doris Allison, according to an SPD news release.

Using the video evidence, investigators then located a witness who provided a detailed description of the individual seen tying the doll to the signpost, police said.

Investigators then located the subject at his residence in the vicinity of the signpost. The subject, identified by police as a 23-year-old Black male, admitted to placing the doll on the post as a Halloween prank and said it was unrelated to the councilwoman’s campaign sign, according to the news release.

On Tuesday morning, Councilwoman Allison met with the subject, who apologized for his actions, according to the news release.

After reviewing the facts of the case, the SPD determined that no charges will be filed. The young man’s identity will not be released since he was not charged with a crime, police said.