By Shavonne Potts
shavonne.potts@salisburypost.com

SALISBURY — A man accused of throwing a rock through a Salisbury Post window and inciting a riot has been arrested.

Salisbury Police have also charged him in an unrelated armed robbery.

Harvey McCorkle III was arrested late Thursday in the 300 block of Lloyd Street. He faces felony property damage and felony inciting a riot related to incidents that occurred Tuesday during what began as a peaceful protest in downtown.

The robbery, police said, occurred Jan. 28 at 2908 S. Main St., at Jimmy’s Estetica Unisex, a barbershop. A woman told police around 3:30 p.m. she was robbed at gunpoint by a man wearing a black hooded sweatshirt with neon yellow on it. The man had on dark-colored pants, a Durag, a book bag and a black handgun.

According to Police Detective Russ DeSantis, the man was shown on security video reaching into his sweatshirt and removing a gun. The woman told police the suspect pointed the gun at her and said, “money.”

She handed over the money and the man walked out of the store.

DeSantis said McCorkle was partially developed as a suspect because the same day he went into a Salisbury convenience store wearing the same clothing. Police investigated, conducted interviews and developed him as the suspect, but the case was delayed because of the COVID-19 outbreak, DeSantis said.

The riot and property damage offenses stemmed from the incidents during the Tuesday night protest in which police said McCorkle was shown on surveillance video wearing all white and tossing a rock through a front window at the Post.

McCorkle was issued a $21,000 secured bond and has since been released from the Rowan County Detention Center.

Police later added charges against another man, Jeffrey Alan Long, 49, for inciting a riot. An arrest warrant for Long has not been served, according to DeSantis.