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Felony charges dropped against transgender woman accused of trying to burn flag at Philly Pride

ReeAnna Segin is still facing misdemeanor charges. Her arrest — and subsequent transfer to a men's prison — raised questions of where authorities should house transgender inmates.

Segin is led away by police
Segin is led away by policeRead moreBASTIAN SLABBER / For the Inquirer

The Philadelphia District Attorney's Office has dropped some of the charges against a transgender woman accused of trying to light a flag on fire in a crowd at the Pride parade Sunday.

ReeAnna Segin, 18, is no longer facing felony charges of attempted arson and risking a catastrophe. Those charges were withdrawn at a court hearing Wednesday morning.

Segin is still facing misdemeanor charges of possession of an instrument of crime and recklessly endangering another person.

>> Read more: Why a transgender woman was sent to a men's prison in Philadelphia

She was arrested after she allegedly tried to pour accelerant on a flag and light it on fire amid a crowd that had gathered at 12th and Locust streets for Pride, authorities said. Officers found road flares protruding from Segin's backpack, which also contained a can of paint thinner and a blue lighter stick, the District Attorney's Office said.

Police described the flag Segin allegedly tried to burn as a "a thin blue line American flag." It had black and white stripes along with a blue stripe. Some people on social media referred to it as a Blue Lives Matter flag, though it's unclear whether that was the case.

Segin was sent to a men's prison in Philadelphia before activists and others — including the city's LGBT affairs director — helped bail her out Monday. Her placement in the prison sparked concerns about where authorities should house transgender inmates.

For the sake of transparency: Yesterday at the beginning of the Pride parade, a trans woman was arrested at 12th and…

Posted by Amber Hikes on Monday, June 11, 2018