4 Men Arrested In #BlackLivesMatter Shooting

Editorial: The 'State Of The Black Union' Touches On Serious Issues Concerning African-Americans

Minneapolis police have made four arrests in last month’s shooting that left four Black Lives Matter protestors injured.

Police say that 23-year-old Allen Scarsella, who has admitted to shooting demonstrators who were protesting the death of 24-year-old Jamar Clark, has been charged with one count of second-degree riot and five counts of second-degree assault. Joseph Backman, 27; Daniel Macey, 26; and Nathan Gustavsson, 21, have all been charged with second-degree riot. All four men are in police custody and face a minimum of three years in prison. Additional charges are possible.

The shooting occurred the night of November 23rd outside of a Minneapolis police station after Backman began fighting with a group of protestors. After the shooting, he called his girlfriend and asked her to take his guns because he had just shot five people. He later told a friend who is an officer in a neighboring city that he opened fire on the demonstrators.

Demonstrators were gathered demanding justice in the death of Clark, who was fatally shot by police officers weeks earlier. According to police reports, authorities were called to a scene of a domestic dispute in which Clark was involved on the night of November 15. Clark was restrained by police after allegedly interfering with paramedics, who were helping someone else. An altercation occurred between Clark and officers, which resulted in the 24-year-old being shot in the face. Witnesses say that Clark was handcuffed at the time of the shooting.

State and federal probes have been launched into the shooting, and the officers involved are on administrative leave.

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