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MINNEAPOLIS, MN– Following the in custody death of George Floyd in May, mayhem tore through almost every major city in the United States. Minneapolis, Minnesota was one of the cities that was hit hardest by riots, arson, looting and assaults.
On May 28th, the Minneapolis Police Department Third Precinct Headquarters was set on fire and destroyed, and four men have now plead guilty for their involvement in the incident.
According to Federal prosecutors, on January 22, two St. Paul men, 25-year-old Davon Turner and 23-year-old Branden Wolfe each admitted to one count of conspiracy to commit arson.
Man pleads guilty in Minneapolis precinct arson after George Floyd death https://t.co/dITZs6ks3j via @Yahoo
— Dorothy Grady (@DorothyGrady7) January 23, 2021
Branden Wolfe is scheduled to be sentenced on April 22nd and Davon Turner’s sentencing hearing has been scheduled for May 13th.
According to court records, Wolfe admitted to lighting an incendiary device, namely a Molotov cocktail, that Turner used to start a fire after breaking into the building. Wolfe then pushed a barrel into another fire already set in the building in an effort to provide it with fuel, KDHL reported.
Two other men involved in the arson, Bryce Williams and Dylan Robinson, also both plead guilty for their involvement in the May 28th incident. Williams, who plead guilty on November 19th will be sentenced on March 9th.
Robinson’s guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald. Robinson entered his guilty plea before Judge Patrick J. Schiltz in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis. His sentencing is scheduled for April 6, 2021.
According to Robinson’s guilty plea and documents filed with the court, on the night of May 28, Robinson went to the Third Precinct where a crowd of hundreds had gathered. At one point, the crowd began shouting, “Burn it down, burn it down.” Soon after, a fence designed to keep trespassers out of the Third Precinct building was torn down, NBC news reported.
Minnesota residents Dylan Robinson, Davon Turner, Bryce Williams, and Branden Wolfe have all been federally indicted with charges of conspiracy to commit arson against the Third Precinct police station in Minneapolis. https://t.co/qkHfpAcu0S
— Alpha News (@AlphaNewsMN) September 5, 2020
Robinson, along with William, breached the fence and entered the Third Precinct building. Allegedly, Robinson lit a device that was being held by Williams, who threw it toward the Third Precinct building with the intent it would start a fire or fuel an existing fire.
Here is more on criminals being apprehended in Minneapolis.
Got him! Assault charges filed against man for starting shootout with Minneapolis police
January 21, 2020
MINNEAPOLIS, MI – The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office has announced that a Minneapolis man has been charged with first-degree assault for shooting at officers following a pursuit on January 14.
Zedrick Andrew Cooper, 36, exchanged multiple shots with officers and suffered several gunshot wounds.
According to a criminal complaint, the incident began when the Minneapolis Police Department received reports of a black male driving a black SUV pointed an AK-47 at several people at a Full Stop Gas Station on Lowry Avenue North.
When officers arrived on the scene, the SUV began to flee the scene. Officers pursued the SUV, which refused to stop for officers. As the SUV took a turn onto Dowling Avenue North, the vehicle slid across the intersection and struck a stop sign. The vehicle became stuck on the curb.
Six MPD officers approached the vehicle as the suspect continued to try to drive off the curb, spinning tires and revving the engine. The suspect refused orders from police to exit the vehicle, and an MPD officer smashed the driver’s side window with a flashlight, at which time the officer observed Cooper armed with a firearm.
In the complaint, police reported:
“(The officer) observed Defendant had a gun and yelled to his fellow officers, ‘He has a gun!’ at which time Defendant fired multiple gunshots at officers. Officers ran back to their squad cars to seek cover and returned fire.”
During the shooting, officers retreated to their patrol cars for cover. When the shooting ended, Cooper could be seen by officers moving inside the vehicle, so the MPD SWAT team was called to the scene. The SWAT team was able to extract Cooper from the vehicle.
Cooper suffered several gunshot wounds and was transported to North Memorial Medical Center, where he was treated for non-life-threatening. He is presently incarcerated in the Hennepin County Jail.
The incident was captured on a motorist’s dash camera.
Officers located a black and silver Smith and Wesson handgun with an extended magazine in the vehicle. During the shootout, two MPD squad cars were struck with will bullets. No MPD officers were injured.
Cooper is charged with three counts of first-degree use of deadly force against a peace officer and one count of ineligible possession of ammunition and a firearm.
Cooper could face over 50 years in prison if convicted.
The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) issued a statement Wednesday identifying the officers involved in the incident.
- Officer Felix Alvarado has been with the Minneapolis Police Department for four years. He discharged his firearm.
- Officer Cory Krautkramer has been with the department for seven years. He discharged his firearm.
- Officer Aaron Pearson has been with the department for seven years. He fired less-lethal impact rounds.
- Officer Kyle Pond has been with the department for seven years. He discharged his firearm.
- Officer Nathan Sundberg has been with the department for seven years. He fired less-lethal impact rounds.
BCA reported that the officers involved were placed on administrative leave, the standard protocol for officers involved in shootings.
BCA reported that the incident was caught on officers’ body cams, and the video is being reviewed. BCA agents will also review each officer’s dash cameras.
Cooper has an extensive criminal history with nearly 40 convictions, according to Minnesota court records. In his most recent prior arrest, Cooper was convicted in Hennepin County on a felony threat of violence charge. A plea deal dismissed three other similar charges.
Cooper was granted a stay on a 21-month sentence and instead only served 240 days, including 160 days credited for time served.
Minnesota has a “two-thirds” law, which requires prisoners to be released after serving two-thirds of their sentence in prison. Under the law, Cooper served the remainder of his sentence on probation.
Cooper was also convicted of felony theft in 2017 but was granted probation after receiving 11 days credit for time served. Cooper also has a 2017 felony conviction for narcotics, numerous convictions for driving after revocation, three for DWI, one for trespassing, and a handful of other driving-related offenses.
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