Police Doc: Black Lives Matter Protesters Started Confrontation That Led to Minneapolis Shooting
MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota—A search warrant related to the shooting of five Black Lives Matter protesters in Minneapolis reveals new details that may strengthen the case that the shooting was an act of self-defense by white suspects who were being assaulted by black protesters.
Three suspects, all white, have been charged in connection with the incident. No black suspects have been charged, despite the information provided to police and recorded comments from Black Lives Matter protesters stating that the white suspects were attacked after being surrounded.
Evidence suggests that the Minneapolis police were aware that the initiation of force came from the black protesters.
As Breitbart News reported earlier, two black activist witnesses said on video shortly after the incident that, “Somebody out the crowd punched one of them and they hit the gate over here. after that, one of them started reaching and backing up.”
The newly released search warrants appear to corroborate this information. The warrant states:
On November 23, 2015 there were active protests at 1925 Plymouth Ave N. This is the intersection of Morgan Ave N and Plymouth Ave N. Roughly 22:30 hours, several white males joined the protests. Numerous protestors confronted the white males and a large altercation ensued. The altercation moved northbound on Morgan Ave N according to VICTIMS and WITNESSES.
The site of the protests is a public street that Black Lives Matter protesters have occupied, with no visible police presence. Activists have blockaded both ends of the street with barricades and set up a small tent city, but the fact remains that the street is public property.
The warrant states that “protestors confronted the white males and a large altercation ensued.” It does not go into detail, but there is no legal justification for protesters to order or intimidate other people off of public property.
The warrant further reveals that one of the suspects, “Lance” Scarsella, volutarily contacted the police to report the incident. Scarsella, who was arrested the next day, contacted a police officer he went to high school with. Significantly, the call came in before news of the shooting spread.
Shortly after, a Police Officer LEVIN from the MANKATO Police Department contacted Minneapolis Police Department. The Mankato Officer Levin reports that Allen Lance Scarsellathe III DOB: 2/25/1992 contacted him and advised him that he had shot 5 people. SCARSELLA admitted this confession to Officer LEVIN twice during the five minute conversation. Officer LEVIN and Scarsella went to High School together. Officer LEVIN says that he has person knowledge that Scarsella owns a .45 caliber weapon. Officer LEVIN wrote police report and signed it Officer LEVIN received the call on 11/24 at 1 :02 am. This was prior to news reports widely reporting the number of victims and the event.
Then the warrant reveals that Scarsella said that the group had gone to record and live stream the public space occupied by Black Lives Matter activists, and that Scarsella sounded “very frightened.”
Officer LEVIN reports that Scarsella sounded very fiightened on the phone. He stated that he and an unknown number of friends had gone to the 4th Precinct BLM protest so they could live-stream it.
Facts are still coming out about the incident. But there’s no indication that Minneapolis police are pursuing any charges against the protesters who have taken over a city street and then, according to multiple witnesses, intimidated or attacked people who were exercising their First Amendment rights.
The lack of police action against protesters, and the arrests of only the white suspects, in what police call “a large altercation” is sure to have a chilling effect on coverage of Black Lives Matter protests.
Here is the full text of the search warrant, via the Star Tribune:
No comments:
Post a Comment