The felony case against a Charlotte woman accused of assaulting a federal officer outside Charlotte’s U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office was dismissed Monday, only for prosecutors to file a new set of misdemeanor charges Tuesday.
Heather Morrow, 44, was initially accused of grabbing a federal officer’s shoulders and jumping on his back during an arrest outside the southwest Charlotte ICE office earlier this month. The incident occurred during a protest against the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s operation.
That felony charge was dropped ahead of her scheduled preliminary hearing on Tuesday.
“I cried for joy. I really knew that the charges weren't going to stick, so it was just a big relief,” Morrow told WFAE on Tuesday morning.
However, federal prosecutors filed four misdemeanor charges Tuesday afternoon against Morrow and another protester, William Stanley.
The two are charged with obstructing the use of entrances on federal property, not complying with orders from officers and assaulting and impeding federal officers.
If they are convicted, Morrow and Stanley face a fine or up to a year in prison.
