Southern Pines woman banned from playground, facing charges after removing caution tape

A Southern Pines woman, Emily Rainey, recorded herself removing caution tape from the downtown park playground and posted it to Facebook. Rainey is charged with injury to personal property. Southern Pines police say she's done this before, too.
Posted 5/28/2020, 12:33:29 AM

COUNCIL HAS IF YOU ISSUED CALLS

ACTION.

A PUBLIC HEARING IS SET FOR

JUNE 1.

>>> A FAMILIAR SITE FOR

FAMILIES, CAUTION TAPE WRAPPED

AROUND PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT TO

SHOW IT IS OFF-LIMITS AND CLOSE

BECAUSE OF CORONAVIRUS.

AS SOUTHERN PINES MOTHER PULLED

THE TAPE DOWN FOR HER CHILD TO

PLAY AND IS NOW FACING CHARGES

FOR DAMAGE TO PROPERTY SHE

SPOKE TO WRAL ADAM OWENS ABOUT

THE SITUATION AND WHAT SHE

PLANS TO DO NEXT.

WE ARE AT THE DOWNTOWN SOUTHERN

PINES PARK.

>>REPORTER: EMILY RAINEY POSTED

THIS VIDEO TO FACEBOOK IN THE

30 OLD MOTHER SAYS IT WAS TAKEN

AT THE DOWNTOWN PARKING

SOUTHERN PINES.>> AS YOU CAN

SEE WE HAVE A BUNCH OF CAUTION

TAPE UP.

>> IN AN EFFORT TO STOP THE

SPREAD OF CORONAVIRUS THE

GOVERNOR ORDER PLAYGROUNDS

CLOSED.>> ALL OF YOU FREEDOM

FIGHTERS, THIS IS FOR YOU.>>

GOT HER CHARGED WITH A CRIME.

SHE WASN'T CHARGED WITH

BREAKING THE GOVERNOR'S ORDER

BUT INJURY TO PERSONAL

PROPERTY.

DAMAGE TO THE TAPE ALSO GOT HER

BANNED FROM ALL SOUTHERN PINES

PARKS FOR ONE YEAR.>> IT SHOULD

NOT BE SOMETHING THAT IS

SCANDALOUS OR PROHIBITED.

THIS IS AFTER ALL STILL A FREE

COUNTRY.>> RAINEY AN OFFICER IN

THE ARMY IS A COADMINISTERED OF

A FACEBOOK GROUP CALLED MOORE

COUNTY CITIZENS FOR FREEDOM I'M

A CHAPTER OF THE REOPENNC

MOVEMENT .

>> I BELIEVE WE ARE ADULTS AND

PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY HAVE A

RIGHT TO MAKE THEIR OWN HEALTH

CARE DECISIONS AND I BELIEVE IN

PROTECTING VULNERABLE PEOPLE

BUT HEALTHY PEOPLE SHOULD HAVE

THEIR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS TO

GATHER AND TO PLAY WITH THEIR

CHILDREN AT THE PARK.>> WHILE

POLICE SAY SHE WAS CHARGED WITH

THAT INCIDENT SHARED ON SOCIAL

MEDIA THEY SAY IT WASN'T THE

FIRST TIME THAT SHE TORE DOWN

CAUTION TAPE AT THIS

PLAYGROUND.>> SHE WENT TWO

SEPARATE TIMES WHERE THERE WAS

A COMPLAINT FILED BY THE PARKS

AND RECREATION DIRECTOR>>

POLICE SAY SHE DID THE SAME

THING BACK IN APRIL THEY SIMPLY

TALKED IT OVER WITH HER.

PAYMENT WE WILL TAKE THE

NECESSARY STEPS TO MAKE SURE

THERE IS CLIENT THE FIRST STEP

SEE VOLUNTARY ALLIANCE.>> THE

CDC JUST SAID COVID DOESN'T

SPREAD ON SURFACES THE WAY THEY

ORIGINALLY THOUGHT AND SO WE

ARE GOING TO PLAY AND WE WOULD

LOVE IT IF SOME OF YOU GUYS

WOULD JOIN US.>> THAT WAS ADAM

OWENS REPORTING AND SHE PLANS

© WRAL