First 3 Defendants In I-94 Protest Plead Guilty; No Jail Time
ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) – Three of the 21 people facing trial for shutting down Interstate 94 last year in the wake of the Philando Castile shooting have pleaded guilty.
The three appeared in a Ramsey County Court Tuesday morning and pleaded guilty to unlawful assembly and public nuisance, both misdemeanors.
Each was sentenced to pay a fine of $186 and to a year of probation. Credit was given for time served.
The three are the first to face trial in connection to the July 2016 highway protest that occurred in response to the gruesome Facebook Live broadcast that showed the immediate aftermath of the shooting.
Protesters shut down the interstate for five hours, and rocks, bottles and Molotov cocktails were thrown at police officers.
More than 100 people were arrested following the protest. After pleas and dismissals, only 21 would face trial.
The remaining protesters are slated to face trial in groups through November.
Castile was fatally shot by former St. Anthony police officer Jeronimo Yanez. He was acquitted of manslaughter charges in June.