Minnesota rioters loot, start fires after U.S. Marshals kill armed criminal suspect
The riots provide a test for Joe Biden if he supports law and order.
Activists looted, rioted and started fires after the U.S. Marshals shot and killed a criminal suspect who brandished a weapon as they tried to arrest him.
“Authorities said Friday that a man wanted on a weapons violation fired a gun before deputies fatally shot him in Minneapolis,” the Associated Press reported, before trying to connect it to the death of George Floyd.
“Family and friends identified the man killed Thursday as Winston Boogie Smith Jr., a 32-year-old father of three. Shelly Hopkins, who was in a longtime relationship with Smith, told The Associated Press that despite any mistakes Smith has made, he didn’t deserve to be killed,” the AP reported.
Smith’s brother raised the possibility that racism was at play. Who said some people “always try to pin something on a man and try to identify him as a criminal, especially if he’s Black,” apparently ignoring his brother’s criminal history.
“According to online court records, Smith was wanted for allegedly being a felon in possession of a firearm in 2019,” the AP reported.
“The felony stems from a 2017 assault and robbery of Smith’s ex-girlfriend. Smith pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting first-degree aggravated robbery for attacking his ex-girlfriend while another woman took her purse. Smith was sentenced to two years in prison, but the prison sentence was stayed for three years, provided he didn’t break the law,” according to the AP.
He also had been charged with fleeing police.
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