From Staff Reports 

A well-known local figure was seriously injured during protests in downtown Asheville on Sept. 23 that has left him hospitalized with traumatic brain injury.

Chad Nesbitt, the administrator of SKYline News on Facebook, was livestreaming protests that erupted in Asheville — following a grand jury’s decision to not charge Louisville, Ky., police for the killing of Breonna Taylor — when the incident occurred about 10 p.m.

A statement from a Mission Hospital spokesperson said Nesbitt suffered a traumatic brain injury and is in serious, but stable, condition. Following is the text of Mission’ Sept. 24 statement:

“Local journalist Chad Nesbitt is currently a patient at Mission Hospital having received a traumatic brain injury while he was covering the protests in Asheville last evening. Mr. Nesbitt is in serious but stable condition and will be closely monitored in the coming days. His wife, Nancy, asks that the family not be contacted by media during this difficult time and will return calls and messages at a later date. Mrs. Nesbitt and their daughter Savannah would like to thank everyone for their outpouring of support and prayers. Mission Hospital spokesperson Nancy Lindell is making this statement on her behalf.”

In his Facebook Live, Nesbitt appeared to be surrounded by protesters when his camera moved suddenly and his Facebook livestream abruptly ended.

Asheville television station WLOS (News 13) said its crew witnessed the moment Nesbitt was taken away in an ambulance.

Following the incident, several social media posts circulated, claiming Mission Hospital had been put on a lock-down.

A spokesperson for the hospital confirmed only the Emergency Department was on “controlled access” due to “a number of visitors trying to gain access,” but that the hospital was not locked down.

Regarding the lockdown rumors, Mission Hospital issued the following statement:

“While the hospital was not on lockdown, our Emergency Department was on controlled access because we had a number of visitors trying to gain access. Further, we are still on restricted visitation due to the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Meanwhile, Nationalist Review reported the following on the attack on Nesbitt:

“In another bout of what seems to be left-wing violence, Skyline News reporter Chad Nesbitt was assaulted in Asheville, North Carolina tonight. Skyline News is an investigative news team that covers all of Western North Carolina. Nesbitt, one of their reporters, was out covering a local demonstration in response to today’s announcement regarding Breonna Taylor.”