Video of sorority gathering prompted crackdown of pandemic rules violations in Chapel Hill

Name: Video of sorority gathering prompted crackdown of pandemic rules violations in Chapel Hill
Uploaded: 2020-08-07T18:37:56.000Z
Duration: 3 min 11 s
Description: Days before classes begin at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill Mayor Pam Hemminger said Friday that citations will be handed out to people who violate the state's rule on holding large gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic.

Days before classes begin at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill Mayor Pam Hemminger said Friday that citations will be handed out to people who violate the state's rule on holding large gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic.

Posted 8/7/2020, 6:37:56 PM Updated 8/7/2020, 10:27:29 PM

>>> THIS IS WRAL NEWS , YOUR

NUMBER ONE SOURCE FOR LOCAL NEWS

>>> BEGINNING TONIGHT ORANGE

COUNTY IS SERIOUS ABOUT

CRACKING DOWN ON LARGE

GATHERINGS AND THE FIRST COUNTY

WE KNOW OF IN OUR STATE THAT IS

READY TO FILE CHARGES WHEN

GROUPS VIOLATE THE LIMITS ON

GATHERINGS.

RIGHT NOW ON WRAL, SHIFTING

FROM EDUCATION TO ENFORCEMENT

BY LEADERS.

>>> GOOD EVENING.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

I DAVID CRABTREE.

>> I KATHRYN BROWN.

>>> WRAL SARAH KRUEGER BROKE

THE STORY FOR YOU AND WE ARE

LIVE IN CHAPEL HILL TO SEE HOW

OFFICERS WILL DETERMINE HOW TO

CHARGE YOU.

>> Reporter: ON CAMPUS WE

RARELY SEE STUDENTS WEARING A

MASK ARE STAYING IN SMALL

GROUPS, AND OFF-CAMPUS THERE IS

MORE CONCERN.

TODAY ORANGE COUNTY LEADERS

DECIDED TO CRACK DOWN ON

PARTIES BEING REPORTEDLY HELD BY

UNC STUDENTS.

>> Reporter: AFTER SEEING THIS

VIDEO OF STUDENTS AT THE OFF-

CAMPUS HOME RENTED BY SORORITY

MEMBERS, THEY KNEW IT WAS TIME

TO MAKE A CHANGE IN ORANGE

COUNTY.

>> I WOULD PREFER THAT

EDUCATION WORK AND I WOULD

PREFERRED THE GATHERINGS DID

NOT HAPPEN BUT IF IT TAKES A

CITATION TO GET PEOPLE TO

NOTICE IT IS AN EGREGIOUS

VIOLATION THAT WILL BE AN

OPTION TO DEPLOY IF NECESSARY.

>> Reporter: THE MAYOR SAID

OFFICERS WILL PATROL

NEIGHBORHOODS AND IF THEY SEE

EGREGIOUS VIOLATIONS OF THE

SAFER AT HOME ORDER THAT

OFFENDERS COULD BE CHARGED WITH

A MISDEMEANOR.

>> Reporter: WITH THIS IN THIS

VIDEO BE EGREGIOUS?

>> THAT WOULD BE EGREGIOUS, YES.

>> I THINK IT'S VISIBLE FOR

EVERYONE TO SOCIAL DISTANCING

BE SEPARATED FOR THE WELL-BEING

OF EVERYONE ON CAMPUS.

IT'S COMMON COURTESY FOR YOUR

FELLOW CLASSMATE.

>> Reporter: IN A SNAPSHOT IT

MAY LOOK LIKE A NORMAL SCHOOL

YEAR AT UNC, BUT PARENTS SAY

THAT STUDENTS NEED TO GRASP THE

SEVERITY OF THE VIRUS, AND THEY

HOPE A CITATION MAY HELP.

>> I CAN BE A WITNESS AND

TESTIFY BECAUSE I AM A HEALTH

CARE WORKER.

I HAVE WATCHED MY PATIENTS DIE

RIGHT IN FRONT OF MY EYES

>> Reporter: SOME QUESTION IF

ANYTHING CAN STOP STUDENTS FROM

DOING WHAT THEY NATURALLY WANT

TO DO, MEETING THEIR FELLOW TAR

HEELS.

>> I DON'T KNOW, THEY ARE

TEENAGERS AND YOUNG ADULTS, SO

WHO CAN SAY.

>> Reporter: THE MAYOR, POLICE

CHIEF AND SHERIFF STRESS THEY

DO NOT WANT TO CHARGE ANYONE.

THEY WANT TO CONTINUE WITH JUST

EDUCATING PEOPLE, IF AT ALL

POSSIBLE.

THE STATE LIMIT ON GATHERINGS

IS THE SAME IN ORANGE COUNTY,

25 PEOPLE OUTSIDE, 10 PEOPLE

INSIDE.

>> THAT IS SARAH KRUEGER LIVE

FROM ORANGE COUNTY

>>> THE UNC ARE NOT DONE ONES

FACING ENFORCEMENT ACTION IN

ORANGE COUNTY.

THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY SAID A

HANDFUL OF PEOPLE ALREADY

GETTING CITATIONS FOR VIOLATING

GATHERING LIMITS IN THE LAST

FEW WEEKS.

ONE HAS ALREADY MADE ITS WAY

THROUGH THE COURT BUT NOT

BELIEVED TO INVOLVE STUDENTS.