Judge Throws Out Riot Charges in I-94 Philando Castile Protests

Defying the Saint Paul city attorney's office, a Ramsey County judge has thrown out gross misdemeanor riot charges against more than 40 people in the July protest that Interstate 94. The protests were a part of the response to fatal police shooting of Philando Castile.

Following the protests, the Saint Paul City Attorney’s office charged 47 adults arrested by the Minnesota State Patrol after they marched on Interstate 94 with third-degree riot, a gross misdemeanor.

Police said that 21 officers from multiple agencies were injured on the night of July 9 after protesters began pelting them with rocks, bottles, fireworks, and bricks. Police said someone dropped a large chunk of concrete onto an officer's head from an I-94 pedestrian bridge.

However, Judge G. Tony Atwal wrote there was no evidence those charged with riot were the ones that engaged in those actions, the Star Tribune reported.

However, Atwal ruled that the lesser charges against protesters, including public nuisance and unlawful assembly, could proceed, according to the Pioneer Press.

The ruling is sure to disappoint Saint Paul Mayor Chris Coleman, who called the alleged violence "shameful" and said it "doesn’t honor anyone’s memory...including Philando Castile’s."

St. Paul Police Chief Todd Axtell also denounced the incident, saying "This is the first time in my 28 years we have observed this level of violence toward our public servants."

"It’s really a disgrace," Axtell added. The protesters "turned into criminals. I am absolutely disgusted, [and] I am not going to tolerate it. … I just can’t believe this occurred. This is just something that doesn’t happen in Saint Paul.”

U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar also weighed in on the protest, tweeting, "Twenty-one police officers injured in St. Paul last night. That is completely unacceptable. Justice can't be achieved through injustice."

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