Judge Patrick Joseph Schiltz
Appointed by :George W. Bush
Posted on 06/11/2021 2:02:21 PM PDT by Signalman
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – According to reports, a U.S. District Judge has sentenced the last of four men who pleaded guilty to torching the Minneapolis Police Department’s Third Precinct during summer 2020.
In court on Monday morning, June 7th, Judge Patrick Schiltz sentenced 27-year-old Bryce Michael Williams to two years and three months in federal prison and ordered him to help pay $12 million in restitution for the damage.
Judge Schiltz described the defendant as a “good person who made a terrible mistake.” While the judge handed down a lighter sentence than prosecutors had requested under state guidelines, he denied Williams’ request for probation, citing that the defendant was a leader, “not a follower,” in the attack on the precinct.
On May 28th, 2020, a crowd of more than 1,000 people gathered outside the precinct, chanting “burn it down!” Dozens of people worked together to tear down a fence that was surrounding the building, intended to keep trespassers out of the precinct.
According to Acting U.S. Attorney W. Anders Folks, that is when Williams and three other men, since identified as 25-year-old Davon De-Andre Turner, 23-year-old Michael Wolfe, and Dylan Shakespeare Robinson, lit and threw Molotov cocktails at the building, causing “near total destruction” of the building.
Williams posted videos of himself and others rioting. His TikTok account grew fast and soon had more than 150,00 followers. All four men pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit arson and Williams was the last to be sentenced.
Folks said in a statement:
“Mr. Williams and his co-defendants have been held accountable for their dangerous and destructive actions. I thank our federal, state, and local partners who pursued justice in these cases.”
Turner was sentenced to three years in prison. Robinson received four years, and Wolf got three years and five months.
Additionally, each must help pay restitution. In addition to prison time, Williams, a former college basketball player, will have to pay $12 million in restitution and will be subject to two years post supervision release.
Williams reportedly described himself as a biracial man who grew up in the mostly white suburbs of the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul. He was the first college graduate in his family and he went to a university on a basketball scholarship.
In court, he said that he was ashamed of his behavior during the riot and that he won’t forget “the pain and agony” he helped facilitate. Reportedly, since being charged, he said he has had steady employment in security work.
He added that he has stopped drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana, stating that he has been focused on his faith and being a good father.
He asked the judge:
“Please have mercy on me while you sentence me.”
A Minneapolis police officer who left the force following the riots after 37 years as an officer told the court that she sent photos of herself to her family before and after every shift to tell them she was OK.
The former officer said that “almost 300” other officers have left the force since the riots.
She added:
“There’s so much we lost that was more than bricks and mortar.”
Judge Schiltz said that William had “done everything right” since his arrest and that he was the first to plead guilty out of the four men. The judge added that it was “easy to understand” why the death of George Floyd affected Williams, but that time in prison is warranted because of Williams’ role in the riot.
Williams must surrender to go to prison by July 13th.
Appointed by George W Bush.
How about a bad person who acted according to his badness that he set the fire?
IIRC ... with people in the building. Am I recalling that correctly?
Appointed by :George W. Bush
He’s a good person until he sets fire to HIS house.
The leader of the attack gets a lighter sentence that his followers? I can’t see it, even if he did express remorse and shame and “has been doing all of the right things”, as the judge put it.
After rioting and helping destroy a police precinct he has been employed in security. Strange, but not unbelievable in todays USA.
Our son is an arson... ist. I imagine his parents are so proud of such a good person. Don’t leave him at home with a box of matches, without supervision, unless you are well insured.
A “mistake,” what? Shut up.
Bkmk
I’m sure he in his fellow riders will have the $12 million to pay the city back for repairs, right?
Required to pay 12 million? Lol. How is he going to do that?? The victims who sued bernie getz are still waiting on thier milliosn too.
Your personal opinion of someone should not be the basis for sentencing.
Go by the laws he broke and the danger to others lives.
The rule of law and civility is just about finished in this society.
Panty waste judges. But bring in someone who was let in the Capitol building on the 6th and it’s the electric chair.
Just by appearance, I don’t think they’re going to get much of the $12 million from him. It will be interesting to judge his sentence and those who walked through the Capitol between the rope lines. Some have done 1/4 of the time before even going on trial.
Seize the bail fund the celebrity class collected. It's what emboldened them to criminal action.
Harsher than I’d have guessed.
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