On Sunday, the Emory Police Department (EPD) arrested a convicted felon who had crossed state lines to come to the university’s campus amid protests. The man, identified as a 35-year-old from Statesville, North Carolina, was apprehended on the Emory Quad on Sunday afternoon while in possession of knives and a pepper spray canister.
Following the arrest, a search warrant was obtained for the individual's car, where authorities discovered an axe, a hatchet, and two knives in a bag containing survival gear. The suspect, Derek Zika, faced charges including criminal trespass, obstructing a law enforcement officer, possession of a weapon in a school safety zone, and crossing state lines with weapons, intoxicants, or drugs. Zika was subsequently transported to the Dekalb County Jail and later released on bail.
EPD also issued six criminal trespass warnings to protesters suspected of recent acts of vandalism on campus. It was confirmed that none of these individuals were affiliated with Emory University. In response to these incidents, the university emphasized its commitment to community safety by implementing enhanced campus safety measures, including increased officer patrols.
