A group of University of South Florida protesters known as the "Tampa 5" have been cleared of felony charges stemming from a campus rally in March.
"It wasn't really just the five of us being tested with this case, but all of students needing to protect their right to freedom of speech," said Chrisley Carpio, who was a USF admissions employee before losing her job after the arrest.
Carpio was joined by Gia Davila, a recent graduate; alumni Laura Rodriguez; and students Lauren Pineiro and Jeanie Kida.
The group gained national attention following their arrests. They were charged with battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting an officer without violence, and disrupting a school campus or function, and each faced the possibility of a five to 10 year prison sentence.
After a Tuesday morning pre-trial hearing at the Hillsborough County Courthouse, it was announced that felony charges would be dropped.
Misdemeanor charges will be expunged from the group's records, provided they complete community service and stay away from the USF campuses for a year, except under certain conditions (being a student, employee or needing medical attention).
The Hillsborough County State Attorney's Office and the USF Police issued a joint statement following the announcement, maintaining that the protestors were "combative," but that they were "satisfied with the final resolution."
The State Attorney's Office portion read: “This resolution brings closure to all parties, ensuring the defendants are held accountable for their actions. University campuses are bastions for free speech and learning, but the moment someone puts their hands on a law enforcement officer, a line is crossed, and consequences must follow.”
The University Police said, in part, "Moving ahead, we look forward to continuing our work with critical campus partners, Student Organizations, in furtherance of encouraging others to successfully accomplish their free speech goals in an equitable and responsible manner.”
Background on police and student clash
Four of the members were arrested during a March 6 demonstration against a state law affecting university diversity programs. Pineiro turned herself in after a warrant was issued for her arrest.
The rally, which was attended by Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society, called for USF administration, including President Rhea Law, to protect the university's diversity, equity and inclusion programs, which were at risk due to state law cutting federal funding.
Tampa Bay SDS, which had been advocating for increasing Black enrollment at the university, questioned how the school would continue to protect students of color and LGBTQ students.
Protesters marched from the Marshall Student Center to the Patel Center for Global Solutions, requesting a meeting with Law.
Police arrived at the building and altercations between the protesters and campus police broke out.
Students described being "brutalized" and "sat on." Pineiro said during a previous rally that they were "met with force" and that an officer had slammed their fist into her head.
The university said that officers had tried to deescalate the situation and that students "actively resisted, with some members putting their hands on police."
The Hillsborough State Attorney's Office eventually filed the charges against the Tampa 5.
"Everything about this has shocked and been out of the normal experience for all of us, from the police brutality of the day of to being taken into the jail cell and being put in orange jumpsuits," Carpio said Tuesday.
Looking forward
News of the arrests and videos of the incident gained national attention. Four of the Tampa 5 embarked on a 20-city tour, to share the story of their arrest and garner support.
Carpio said the group rejected a plea deal from the State Attorney's Office that required them to issue a written apology to officers. That's when they said some of the felony counts against them were doubled.
"They were going at us with everything they had, it's just that the power of the people is many times stronger," said Carpio.
She added that she is working with her union to get her job back.
Laura Rodriguez, who graduated from USF in 2022, said she also lost her job as a substitute teacher after her arrest.
"I am looking for more opportunities to come because our life has been on pause with all of the trial proceedings," said Rodriguez. "We're excited to continue to get back to organizing around other cases of political repression."
Throughout the ordeal, Rodriguez said that the group were firm in their belief that they would not be convicted.
"We based ourselves in reality. We knew that our charges were false," she said, "because we were the ones being beaten and brutalized by police."
