Skip to main content

Charges reduced against woman arrested during 2020 protest

RICHMOND, Va. — A woman who was charged last year with inciting a riot and assaulting a police officer during an overnight demonstration outside Richmond police headquarters has pleaded no contest to reduced charges.

Michaela Hatton, a 23-year-old social worker, was arrested last June on the 18th consecutive day of demonstrations in Richmond following the death of George Floyd under the knee of a Minneapolis police officer.

On Thursday, the charges were reduced to disorderly conduct and unlawful assembly.

A plea agreement calls for Hatton to complete 50 hours of community service, complete the Richmond Police Department’s month-long Citizens Police Academy, and write an essay that reflects on her decision to disparage a Richmond police officer in a Twitter post in August.

Completing the FAFSA: Everything you should know

Filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, which opens by Dec. 31, is one of the most important steps students and their families can take to pay for college. Some states now make completing the FAFSA a high school graduation requirement. The U.S. Department of Education awarded about $111.6 billion in federal grants, loans and work-study funds in fiscal year 2022, according to the most recent Federal Student Aid annual report. Those federal funds will assist roughly 9.8 million students in completing their education.
Read Next Story