Attorney: Teen charged in fireworks melee wasn't the one firing at squad car; charges dropped
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Hennepin County Attorney's Office says it's dropping the case against a 17-year-old who was accused of shooting fireworks at Minneapolis police officers on the Fourth of July.
"After a close review of video of the incident, the evidence does not support charges," the county attorney's office said. "The scene was chaotic, with many individuals dressed similarly, but it appears [name redacted] was not the individual observed firing mortar fireworks and Roman candles at a squad car."
At about 11:30 p.m. on 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.
At the same time, the county attorney filed new charges against a different person in connection with the Boom Island Park fireworks incident: 20-year-old Iyub Ali, of Minneapolis. He's been charged with four separate counts, including felony-level fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle.
The complaint against Ali alleges he was the one behind the wheel of a Dodge Charger setting off fireworks in the park, aimed at a police squad car.
"The conduct of many others observed on the night of July 4th was extraordinarily dangerous. We will continue to review and appropriately prosecute any cases referred to us against individuals who did engage in the dangerous conduct that occurred," the county attorney's office said Friday.
RELATED: Watch video of people firing fireworks at Minneapolis Police
An 18-year-old man, Zamir Abdulkadir Yassin, also remains charged with second-degree riot with a dangerous weapon. Police say he was among more than 300 who were in the vicinity of Bde Maka Ska Parkway and West 36th Avenue late on July 4. There, officers 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.
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 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."
