Charges: Teen, 17, man, 18, shot fireworks at Minneapolis police officers on Fourth of July
MINNEAPOLIS -- A 17-year-old boy from Columbia Heights and an 18-year-old man from Minneapolis are accused of shooting fireworks at Minneapolis police officers in separate incidents on the Fourth of July.
The boy faces one felony count of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon and one misdemeanor count of fleeing a police officer by a means other than a motor vehicle in connection to the late Tuesday evening incident. WCCO does not typically name suspects unless they are charged as an adult.
The man, Zamir Abdulkadir Yassin, is charged with second-degree riot with a dangerous weapon.
What the juvenile petition says
At about 11:30 p.m. Tuesday night, the Fourth of July, officers from the Minneapolis Police Department were dispatched to the call of fireworks being shot off at Boom Island Park. The report said about 40 to 50 youths were at the location shooting fireworks off, including at vehicles.
Police say multiple people shot off fireworks at police that had arrived in squad vehicles. As other police officers arrived in their vehicles, fireworks were also shot at them, according to the petition.
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The 17-year-old charged in the incident was allegedly standing in the park, shooting both mortar and Roman candles at responding officers in their squad vehicle.
"Officers had to quickly roll up their window and several fireworks went off directly in front of the squad car's windshield and the passenger side window. This put the officers in fear of their safety and fear of great danger," the petition said.
Police say the teen began running after shooting the fireworks, but officers pursued him until he later stopped in the main parking lot of the park. He was then taken into custody. He allegedly gave a statement that he shot off the fireworks and initially ran from police.
Yassin's criminal complaint
Police were called to the intersection of Bde Maka Ska Parkway and West 36th Avenue at about 11:37 p.m. Tuesday night after a vehicle fire was reported.
Officers arrived to find "a large crowd of over 300 people," and they observed "hundreds of fireworks exploding all around – striking squad cars, passing vehicles, trees, and other by-standers," according to the criminal complaint.
Minneapolis SWAT team members and a Minnesota State Patrol helicopter were called to the area for assistance. As an officer in a squad car drove down the parkway to try and get the crowd to leave, Zamir Yassin allegedly fired a Roman candle at him, which caused "burn marks" on the windshield.
RELATED: Neighbors, police grapple with fireworks, disruption during Fourth of July holiday
The officer got out of his squad, chased down and arrested Yassin, who is still being held in the Hennepin County Jail. Yassin faces up to five years in prison if convicted.
MPD's response after night of mayhem
MPD Chief Brian O'Hara later announced Wednesday that 11 children and five adults, all teens, were arrested in connection to the incident. Six were cited for disorderly conduct, while five others were booked into the Hennepin County Juvenile Detention Center.
One year ago, Boom Island was the scene of a Fourth of July shooting where seven people were hurt. O'Hara says they had ramped up patrols and closed down the Stone Arch Bridge to try to deter the disturbances that rocked downtown in 2022. And despite another wild holiday night in 2023, the chief says no bystanders were badly hurt.
"This year [the MPD] kept these groups on the run," O'Hara said, "The targeting of innocent people with fireworks is unlawful, dangerous, and wholly unacceptable."
O'Hara said 12 were shot over the holiday weekend, compared to 25 during the same time period in 2022.