ASHEVILLE N.C. — Press Release Buncombe County DA Office Four individuals involved in a June 2024 physical altercation at the West Asheville Library pleaded guilty Tuesday afternoon before Superior Court Judge Louis Trosch.
The incident occurred June 29, 2024, during a seminar titled "Strategic Lessons from the Palestinian Resistance," hosted by the Another Carolina Anarchist Bookfair. According to police reports, a group of attendees surrounded and assaulted three residents who were live-streaming the event.
Michael Solomon Brocenos, 34; Tyler Byrne Hackett Kelly, 33; and Emily Kathryn Murphy, 38, each pleaded guilty to simple assault. The three were originally charged with ethnic intimidation.
A fourth individual, Taylor Danielle Zarkin, 35, pleaded guilty to resisting a public officer.
Judge Trosch placed all four defendants on supervised probation for one year. As conditions of their probation, Judge Trosch ordered the defendants to:
Complete 30 hours of community service.
Have no contact with the victims.
Refrain from posting about the event on social media.
The court utilized a statutory conditional discharge in the case. If the defendants remain fully compliant with the terms of their probation for one year, the court will dismiss the charges.
The Asheville Police Department conducted the initial investigation into the conflict, which involved a 79-year-old Holocaust survivor and two other residents. While the incident sparked significant community debate regarding the distinction between anti-Zionism and ethnic intimidation, the judgment focuses on the physical assault and the defendants' conduct.
The victims were advised of their right to attend and speak at the sentencing, were present at sentencing and expressed satisfaction with the disposition of the case.