Charges dropped against pro-Palestinian UH protesters

Prosecutors quietly dropped criminal charges against two University of Houston students who were arrested at a pro-Palestinian protest on campus last month , court records show.

Catch up quick: Pro-Palestinian organizers set up an encampment at UH's Butler Plaza on May 8 protesting the university's investments in companies that sell arms to the Israeli military.

• Police dismantled the encampment and arrested two students in the process.

The intrigue: The university's police department tried to charge one student with assaulting a police officer, but prosecutors didn't find enough probable cause.

• Instead, an assistant district attorney signed off on a criminal complaint of misdemeanor evading arrest.
• The other student was initially accused of failing to identify but wound up being charged with misdemeanor criminal trespass.

Driving the news: Both charges were dismissed by prosecutors the week of June 10, records show.

• The student charged with criminal trespass completed a "custom" pretrial diversion program in lieu of prosecution.

Meanwhile, the charge for the other student, who was initially accused of assaulting an officer but had his charge lowered to evading arrest, was dismissed because there was "insufficient evidence" of his guilt.

The other side: "UHPD responded appropriately and in accordance with our policies and Texas law," university spokesperson Kevin Quinn tells Axios.

• Quinn declined to disclose what evidence police presented accusing the student of assaulting a police officer and whether officers were wearing activated bodycams at the time of the arrests.

Axios reached out to the Harris County District Attorney's Office for comment, but a spokesperson did not respond.