North Carolina's P.J. Hairston Arrested for Drug Possession, Charges Dismiss

North Carolina sophomore guard P.J. Hairston has been arrested for possession of marijuana and driving without a license. 

UPDATE: Monday, July 22, at 9:50 a.m. ET by Brandon Galvin

Scout.com's Greg Barnes has the latest on PJ Hairston:

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All charges against P.J. Hairston stemming from his June 5 arrest have been dismissed, a Durham court clerk confirmed Monday.

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---End of update---

UPDATE: Monday, July 15, at 2:15 p.m. ET by Brandon Galvin

FayObserver.com's Bret Strelow and Stephen Schramm have the latest from Roy Williams on P.J. Hairston's situation:

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North Carolina basketball coach Roy Williams issued the following statement Monday:

'I initially decided not to make a statement about P.J. (Hairston) until the legal process had been finalized. I believe that is the fair way that everyone should be treated and is the way of our country.

P.J. and I have had several discussions already and he knows he has made serious mistakes and there will be serious consequences as a result. Certainly the idea of suspending P.J. has been discussed. However, he is not currently enrolled in summer school, is not practicing with the team and we have no games until November. There are several options available in terms of discipline but we are going to wait until the process is complete to decide on those options.

Other issues have been written about recently that are disturbing and bother me deeply. Our basketball program is based on great ideals and these issues are embarrassing. These are not common in my 10 years as head coach at UNC and they will all be dealt with harshly and appropriately at the correct time to ensure that our program will not be compromised.

We will care about each individual but there will be serious actions taken that will fix these issues. I take pride in our values and how we have conducted ourselves for a long time here at Carolina and this time will pass but it will be dealt with strongly.

We are talking about a program that has been a model of success on and off the court and it will be again. I want to thank our fans for their patience, understanding and support.'

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UPDATE: Friday, July 12, at 4:05 p.m. ET by Ian Hanford

News Observer reporters Dan Kane, Andrew Carter and Laura Keeley divulged details of Hairston's police report:

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A detailed police report into the traffic stop and arrest of UNC basketball star P.J. Hairston says that he switched places with a passenger to try to avoid a citation of driving without a license, admitted to being a “recreational” marijuana user and had been given the rental car that he was driving to go to Atlanta and see friends.

The new details raise more questions about Hairston’s standing with the basketball program, which is currently reviewing the situation. The details also counter claims by the Durham man who had rented the car, Haydn “Fats” Thomas, who had told reporters he did not give the 2013 GMC Yukon to Hairston but to another man in the car.

Thomas is a convicted felon with a lengthy criminal record; Hairston had also been stopped for a speeding ticket in a second rental vehicle, a 2012 Chevrolet Camaro, that is linked to Thomas.

Police found two bags with small amounts of marijuana in the car and a 9 mm handgun and marijuana along the street where the car had stopped about 75 yards shy of a vehicle checkpoint set up by Durham police the night of June 5. The car had a strong odor of burned marijuana, but Hairston denied using any that evening.

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UPDATE: Wednesday, July 10, at 5:53 p.m. ET by Ian Hanford

According to the Associated Press (via Sports Illustrated), Hairston will not face additional charges:

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A Durham police spokeswoman says there are no plans to file additional charges from the June traffic stop that resulted in the drug arrest of North Carolina basketball leading scorer P.J. Hairston.

Hairston was arrested June 5 during a license checkpoint in Durham while driving a rented SUV with two passengers. All three were charged with misdemeanor marijuana possession.

Kammie Michael said in an email that the department "does not anticipate filing any additional charges in this case" and that it wouldn't release additional information.

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---End of update---

UPDATE: Wednesday, July 10, at 12 p.m. ET by Brandon Galvin

Yahoo! Sports' Pat Forde has the latest on P.J. Hairston:

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After weeks of institutional silence, North Carolina athletic director Bubba Cunningham issued a statement Wednesday regarding the increasingly tenuous status of star Tar Heels guard P.J. Hairston...

...Hairston was arrested June 5 in Durham, N.C., on marijuana possession charges when a 2013 GMC Yukon he was driving was pulled over at a traffic checkpoint. Police found a half-ounce of marijuana, a 9mm handgun and nine rounds of ammunition outside the vehicle. Hairston and passengers Miykael Faulcon and Carlson Sanford all were charged with marijuana possession. 

'The athletic department compliance staff and I are fully aware of recent media accounts related to our men's basketball team," Cunningham said. "We take these matters very seriously and are looking into these reports and the inferences they contain with all due diligence. It is my practice not to comment on the individuals involved or the details surrounding these reports until we have sufficient understanding of the facts involved. We are still gathering information, learning information from other sources, and we will not comment until we have a strong grasp of each individual situation.'

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---End of update---

WTVD ABC 11 had the initial report:

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Durham Police confirm to ABC11 that UNC basketball player P.J. Hairston, and two other men, were charged with possession of marijuana Wednesday.

Police say the sophomore guard was stopped at a license check at 10:20 p.m. at the intersection of Holloway and Guthrie streets near downtown Durham.

Hairston was also charged with driving without a license.

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The university has issued a preliminary statement, via WTVD:

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"We are aware of the situation involving one of our athletes," UNC Senior Associate Athletic Director for Communications Steve Kirschner said. "We are still gathering information and may comment further later."

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Hairston has already met with head coach Roy Williams, according to Greg Barnes of Insider Carolina (h/t Scout.com), to discuss the arrest. The report added that the team will likely handle the matter internally and a suspension is unlikely. 

On Friday, June 7, ABC's Derek Rowles reported that a gun was found outside the car Hairston was driving:

CBS Sports' Gary Parrish has more details, including the police report:

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Hairston was driving a vehicle that was stopped at a license checkpoint Wednesday night. He and both passengers were subsequently charged with marijuana possession, and that seemed to be the end of the story until ABC11 reported Friday morning that police are running forensics on a gun found outside of Hairston's vehicle, the implication being that somebody in Hairston's vehicle might've tossed the weapon upon approaching the checkpoint. If so, this development would obviously complicate Hairston's situation.

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Hairston was excellent for the Tar Heels in 2012-13, averaging 14.6 points (which led the team), 4.3 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.3 steals per game.  

He wasn't inserted into the starting lineup until February but was a major factor in North Carolina winning eight of its last 10 games. Hairston was a key factor in the team reaching the NCAA tournament after a slow start to the season.

The Tar Heels won their first tournament game against Villanova but fell to Kansas in the round of 32.  

There was some speculation that Hairston might make the jump to the NBA after just two years in Chapel Hill, but in April he announced his decision to remain at North Carolina for his junior season.

While Reggie Bullock decided to test the NBA waters, the return of Hairston and James Michael McAdoo should make North Carolina one of the favorites in the ACC next season. With a strong incoming recruiting class—including power forward Isaiah Hicks—the Tar Heels should once again find themselves near the top of the rankings.

Of course, Hairston could be in some serious hot water with the University depending on the investigation into Wednesday's incident. If he is ultimately suspended to start the season, it will be disappointing for what many North Carolina enthusiasts were hoping would be a bounce-back year.