May 9, 2011
On Friday, May 6, University of Virginia Police charged 22-year-old UVa Law student Daniel Paul Watkins with stalking and assault.
The charges come after his ex-girlfriend and female classmate reported being assaulted and threatened by Watkins in February. The student first reached out to the Office of the Dean of Students to get an administrative protective order out of fear for her physical safety.
On Thursday, May 5, the victim reported the incident to University Police after Watkins allegedly failed to comply with the no-contact order. The victim reported that she was assaulted by him on February 13 and that he has continued to intimidate and stalk her.
On May 6, University Police, the Virginia State Police and the Albemarle County Police executed a search warrant at Watkins’ Albemarle County residence. He was taken into custody without incident and has been charged with one count of stalking and one count of assault.
This, however, is not the first time the second-year law student has ended up in the news. Watkins was at the center of national news reports in the fall of 2008 as an undergraduate student at Abilene Christian University in Texas. While he was student body president, Watkins, an African-American, reported finding a noose on his office chair. A police investigation ensued but no arrests were made.
Six months later, Watkins was ousted as student body president by the university's student-government association. Twenty-five of 32 students who participated in the impeachment hearing voted in favor of the move. Students who filed complaints against Watkins said he had been disrespectful, derogatory and didn't adhere to the school's ethical standards of conduct.
Watkins is the organizer of SUPRA, or Students United to Promote Racial Awareness. The group aims to promote understanding of racial diversity.
he was released on a $2,500 secured bond and is scheduled to appear in Albemarle County General District Court on May 12 at 9am.
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