Teen Found Not Guilty Of Shooting St. Cloud Officer, Sparking Days Of Unrest
ST. CLOUD, Minn. (WCCO/AP) — A teenager was acquitted Friday on charges of shooting and wounding a St. Cloud police officer who was trying to arrest him — a shooting that sparked unrest last June after rumors surfaced that police had shot two black men.
Last summer, the Stearns County Attorney's Office charged Sumaree Boose, of St. Cloud, with first-degree assault, using deadly force against a peace officer who was shot in the hand.
Boose denied that he intentionally shot the officer, whose name hasn't been released. On the contrary, he said the officer, perhaps unintentionally, shot him in the chin during the struggle early Monday and that the bullet also went through the officer's hand, authorities allege in the criminal complaint.
Authorities denied Boose's version of events, saying no officers opened fire while arresting him.
After the shooting, a rumor spread on social media that police had shot two black men, leading to a crowd gathering early Monday outside of police headquarters. Officers used tear gas to disperse the crowd.
The protests followed George Floyd's death in Minneapolis and racial injustice. Floyd, who was black and handcuffed, died May 25 after a white police officer used his knee to pin down Floyd's neck for several minutes as Floyd begged for air and eventually stopped moving. His death has sparked protests around the world. Last month, former-Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty on three counts in Floyd's death.
(© Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
