Joseph Backman, 27, of Eagan, is charged with one count of second-degree riot. The men face a variety of charges but have yet to be charged with hate crimes.
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Protestors affiliated with Black Lives Matter-Minneapolis and other groups were rallying to demand that MPD release video footage of the killing of Jamar Clark, an unarmed Black 24-year-old man who was fatally shot by a White officer on November 15, 2015.
Prosecutors said the shooting appeared to be racially motivated but declined to pursue hate crime charges, opting for felonies that carry the possibility of longer sentences.
Allen Scarsella, 23, of Lakeville, is charged with one count of second-degree riot and five counts of second-degree assault.
Texts between Scarsella, Backman and Gustavsson revealed their plans to infiltrate the 4th precinct protest and “rile up so much shit up”. Protesters, who had been on the lookout for white supremacists to show up ever since some racist online postings alluded to trouble, tried to push the masked men out.
Eight days after Clark’s death, the men wore masks and were armed as they crashed a vigil for him that was being held outside a police station in the suburb of Bloomington.
Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman announced the charges during a Monday press conference.
Scarsella, who admitted to shooting five protesters, faces the most serious charges.
Nathan Gustavsson, 21; and Daniel Macey, 26, were apprehended last week. Court appearances were set for Tuesday afternoon.
Protesters say they’ll stay outside the 4th Precinct until all video of the shooting is released and the case is stopped from being presented to a grand jury, which, protesters say, typically exonerate police in fatal shooting cases.
He did stress, however, that federal authorities could still charge the men with hate crimes and that Scarsella’s assault charges could be upgraded depending on the medical records of the victims.
The Black Lives Matter protesters have also warned of a growing suspicion that the police will raid their encampment later on Monday.
“Sadly, the continued presence at the Fourth Precinct has attracted people from outside our neighborhood and our city who intend to cause harm, people with violent agendas that are not aligned with peaceful protesters”, the letter said.
Scarsella is being held on a $500,000 bail, and the other three on $250,000 bail.
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Police say Clark struggled with officers, but some who said they saw the shooting allege the 24-year-old was handcuffed when he was shot. The officer told investigators Scarsella has “very intense opinions” about being a sovereign citizen and pro-Constitution. Imgur photos of Scarsella and Macey showed the two posing in camouflage with a gratuitous number of guns in a wooded area of Pine County, which was spotted with white power flags. The U.S. attorney’s office in Minnesota and Justice Department prosecutors also say they will review evidence to see whether any civil rights statutes were violated.
