Charges of marijuana possession and driving without a license against University of North Carolina shooting guard and leading scorer P.J. Hairston have been dropped, according to reports.
Hairston, who scored 14.6 points per game as a sophomore for UNC, was set for an August hearing regarding the charges that stemmed from a police checkpoint turning up the drugs, the lack of license, and the discovery of a 9mm handgun in the car.
Further complicating matters for Hairston was the man the car was registered to, Haydn "Fats" Thomas, who is a convicted felon and is currently facing drug-related charges. Although Thomas denied knowing Hairston, or serving as a Tar Heels booster, a previous legal dustup for Hairston was uncovered involving another vehicle registered to Thomas.
According to "Fats," he rented the car Hairston was arrested in for himself, before loaning it to 20-year-old Miykael Faulcon, who was present in the vehicle at the time of the arrest. None of Hairston, Faulcon and Carlos Sanford, 23, were facing any charges related to the handgun.
Tar Heels head coach Roy Williams was on record saying that "serious consequences" could be in store for Hairston thanks to his arrest, adding that "several option" were on the table. One of those options was believed to be a lengthy suspension. William said he planned on letting the matter play out entirely before figuring out Hairston's penalty; there is no word yet on whether the charges being dropped affects Williams' thought process.
Hairston's charges being dropped is good news for the Tar Heels, who have a strong group returning for the upcoming season but rely on Hairston to pile up the points. While averaging nearly 15 points a night, Hairston shot 40 percent from 3-point range, and 43 percent from the field. He also averaged 4.3 rebounds per game, solid production from the shooting guard position.
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