State Rep. John Thompson was found guilty Wednesday for his involvement in a 2019 brawl at North Memorial Hospital in Robbinsdale.
Initial police reports from the incident said “an altercation broke out among” a crowd of about 50-75 people. Thompson and others say they were there to see a friend’s son who had tried to kill himself.
Police put the hospital on lockdown for about 90 minutes while the crowd banged on windows and attempted to get in.
Thompson maintains that police and hospital security were disrespectful towards those in the crowd because of their race. At one point, Thompson reportedly called one of the officers racist. The officer allegedly responded by calling Thompson an idiot and arresting him for trespassing.
That charge was dropped, but Thompson fought a misdemeanor obstruction of the legal process charge all the way to trial, which concluded Wednesday with his conviction.
He was sentenced to 30 days in a county workhouse, but that sentence was stayed by Hennepin County District Judge Michael Browne. Instead, Thompson will complete six months of probation.
The state lawmaker briefly spoke with reporters outside the courtroom following his conviction.
Rep. John Thompson asked for "respect" and "privacy" after a jury found him guilty today for a misdemeanor incident at a hospital in 2019. pic.twitter.com/l8hdQtVumG
— Rebecca Brannon (@RebsBrannon) July 21, 2021
Anthony Gockowski
Anthony Gockowski is Editor-in-Chief of Alpha News. He previously worked as an editor for The Minnesota Sun and Campus Reform, and wrote for the Daily Caller.
