Paige Carlin

2/23/16
COM 110
Professor E. Sabo
Inverted Pyramid Story
BURLINGTON, N.C.A man sustained minor injuries Wednesday
morning during an assault that is under investigation by Alamance
County law enforcement. According to Lt. Kathlene Jones of the
Burlington Police Department, the incident is believed to be the third in
a series of connected assaults that occurred that day outside of Liberty
Tax Service offices in Alamance County.
The victims worked as wavers for Liberty Tax Service
advertisement. Jones said. Each incident occurred on a street near one
of the locations while the victims were working.
The first incident occurred at approximately 9 a.m. outside of the
Liberty Tax Service location in Mebane and the second occurred at
approximately 10 a.m. near the companys office in Graham. The
victims of these two incidents sustained no injuries.
The third assault occurred near the Liberty Tax Service location
on South Church Street in Burlington around 11 a.m. According to
Jones, this victim was taken to Alamance Regional Medical Center
following the assault, treated for a broken wrist and released later in
the day.
According to the victims, there were two perpetrators wearing
very distinct masks in each assault; one drove as the other threw water

balloons, tomatoes and eggs at the victims. In the Burlington assault,

the victim slipped and fell on the items that were thrown at him,
causing his injuries.
The masks worn by the perpetrators during the assaults have
been described as V for Vendetta masks. These masks, also known
as Guy Fawkes masks, are commonly associated with the activist group
known as Anonymous. But they also represent modern, mass protest,
according to bustle.com.
We are not going to assume that the perpetrators are part of
Anonymous at this time, Jones said.
Police have advised tax offices in the area to keep their wavers
off the streets until the suspects have been apprehended.
We have contacted the police in the other jurisdictions [where
the assaults occurred] and the Alamance County Sheriffs Office to
work together on the investigations of these assaults, Jones said.
Although police have no license plate number, the car that the
perpetrators drove is known to be an older model of a gray Ford Taurus
with North Carolina plates. One of the victims also reported a bumper
sticker on the car that says, Taxes are revolting and so am I.
According to Jones, there are no witnesses, besides those
assaulted, to the incidents.
We hope to hear from people in the community to help our
investigation, Jones said. If anyone has any information about these

incidents or the suspects, please contact the Burlington Police

Department at 336-229-3500 or the Alamance County Sheriffs Office
at 336-570-6300.