Two more men have pleaded guilty to charges related to the fire that destroyed the Minneapolis Police Third Precinct building during the riots that followed the death of George Floyd in May.
U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota Erica MacDonald announced Friday the guilty pleas of Davon De-Andre Turner, 25, and Branden Michael Wolfe, 23, to one count each of conspiracy to commit arson.
The two separately entered their pleas in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis, Minnesota: Turner on Friday, and Wolfe late last month.
A summary from the guilty pleas and related court documents states:
“On the night of May 28, 2020, Turner and Wolfe separately 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.’ Soon after, a fence that was designed to keep trespassers out of the Third Precinct building was torn down.
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. Wolfe pushed a barrel into a fire located in the entrance of the Third Precinct headquarters that had been set by other unidentified co-conspirators. In his guilty plea, Wolfe admitted that he pushed the barrel with the intent to accelerate the existing fire.”
Wolfe is a former Menards security guard who was reportedly fired following the riots after bragging about stealing items from the Third Precinct. At the time of his arrest, Wolfe was wearing multiple items stolen from the Third Precinct, including body armor, a police-issue duty belt with handcuffs, an earphone piece, a baton, and a knife, charging documents said.
Co-conspirators Bryce Michael Williams and Dylan Shakespeare Robinson have also pleaded guilty to one count each of conspiracy to commit arson for their roles in the arson at the Third Precinct building. Williams will be sentenced on March 9, 2021, and Robinson will be sentenced on April 6, 2021.
Wolfe is scheduled to be sentenced on April 22 and Turner on May 13, 2021.
– – –
Minnesota Crime Watch & Information publishes news, info and commentary about crime, public safety and livability issues in Minneapolis, the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota.
Crime Watch MN
Minnesota Crime Watch & Information publishes news, info and commentary about crime, public safety and livability issues in Minneapolis, the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota.
