BLM rioter sentenced to 3 years prison, ordered to pay $12 million in restitution for burning down Minneapolis police 3rd precinct

Date: 5/13/2021

A man from St. Paul was sentenced to 36 months in prison and ordered to pay $12 million in restitution after burning down Minneapolis police department’s 3rd precinct during Black Lives Matter riots after George Floyd’s killing.

“According to court documents, on the night of May 28, 2020, Davon De-Andre Turner, 25, went to the Third Precinct where a crowd of hundreds had gathered. At one point, the crowd began shouting, “Burn it down, burn it down,” said a press release by the Department of Justice.

“Soon after, a fence that was designed to keep trespassers out of the Third Precinct building was torn down” continued the release. “Turner and an individual unknown to him at the time (later identified as co-defendant Bryce Michael Williams) worked together to light an incendiary device which they intended to be used to start or further accelerate a fire. The incendiary device was taken into the Third Precinct headquarters by Turner and was used to start a fire.”

“Mr. Turner’s actions on the night of May 28, 2020 contributed to the near total destruction of the Minneapolis Police Department’s Third Precinct building,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Anders Folk. “Those actions were dangerous to community, to law enforcement, and to the many peaceful protestors exercising their first amendment rights. Today’s sentence underscores the seriousness of those actions.”

“ATF is committed to investigating the civil unrest arsons of 2020 that occurred throughout the Twin Cities,” said Special Agent in Charge Terry Henderson, of the ATF St. Paul Field Division. “Arson, being inherently violent, is a serious crime that puts our community members and first responders at risk, and it cannot be tolerated.”

“Today’s sentencing sends a clear message—when you are intent on conducting a violent act that breaks federal law, the FBI and our law enforcement partners will move with speed to hold you accountable,” said Michael Paul, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Minneapolis field office. “That behavior puts our entire community in danger, and we simply will not let it go unaddressed.”

Turner plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit arson on January 22nd. After his release, he will serve two years of supervised release and was ordered to pay a share of $12 million in restitution.

Two other individuals, Dylan Shakespeare Robinson and Branden Michael Wolf, were also sentenced for participating in the burning down of the precinct. Robinson will serve 48 months in prison and Wolfe will serve 41 months in prison. Both will serve two years of supervised release and will pay a share of $12 million in restitution.

Bryce Michael Williams, the other co-conspirator, plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit arson and will be sentenced on June 7th, 2021.