CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Durham police have charged North Carolina leading scorer P.J. Hairston with marijuana possession following a traffic stop.
In an email Thursday, Durham Police Department spokeswoman Kammie Michael said officers stopped Hairston at a license checkpoint Wednesday night. Police also arrested two passengers — Miykael Lael Israel Faulcon and Carlos Devone Sanford, both of Durham — and charged all three men with possessing a half-ounce of marijuana or less.
They were released on $1,000 unsecured bonds.
Michael said Hairston, 20, was also charged with driving without a license, though that charge isn't mentioned in his arrest report.
UNC athletic spokesman Steve Kirschner said in an email that both coach Roy Williams and athletic director Bubba Cunningham are aware of the incident.
"We're currently looking into it to gather the facts," Kirschner said. "We will issue a statement when we have enough information to do so."
Hairston averaged 14.6 points for the season, though he averaged 18 points and shot 40 percent on 3-pointers over the final 13 games after becoming a sophomore starter in a four-guard lineup. That helped the Tar Heels (25-11) dig out of an 0-2 start in the Atlantic Coast Conference to reach the ACC tournament final and the third round of the NCAA tournament before losing to Kansas.
Hairston announced in April that he would return for his junior season instead of entering the NBA draft, saying returning was "my way of supporting" Williams and his teammates. He also tweeted that day: "My junior year will be one to remember."
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