A week after gunmen shot into a crowd of Minneapolis protesters, Minnesota prosecutors have filed charges against four men. The protesters, many of whom were allied with the Black Lives Matter movement, were attacked late in the night of November 22 after rallies and a camp-out session in front of a police precinct to protest the officer-involved shooting and killing of Jamar Clark. According to RawStory:
Allen Scarsella, 23, who prosecutors said in a complaint had admitted to shooting five protesters, was charged with one count of second-degree riot while armed and five counts of second-degree assault.
Joseph Backman, 27; Nathan Gustavsson, 21; and Daniel Macey, 26, were each charged with second-degree riot in the Nov. 23 late night shooting that left five demonstrators with wounds that were not life-threatening.
All four men had been in custody since last week in the shooting near the protest camp that sprung up after the fatal shooting by police of Jamar Clark, 24, two weeks ago.
Hennepin County jail records indicate that Scarsella’s bail has been set at $500,000 and the others at $250,000 each. All are scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday afternoon.
In Minnesota, second-degree riot charges carry a maximum of five years in prison and/or a maximum $10,000 fine. Second-degree assault carries a maximum of seven years in prison.