Mount Rushmore protest leader faces felony charges

[TexasTowelie]

RAPID CITY (AP) – The leader of a July 3 protest before President Donald Trump's visit to Mount Rushmore is facing added charges that bring his potential prison sentence to 17 years.

Pennington County prosecutors have added a felony and misdemeanor charge to their case against Nick Tilsen, who helped lead a demonstration that blocked a road leading to Mount Rushmore, the Rapid City Journal reported. He had already been charged with two felonies and three misdemeanors.

Law enforcement officers, including the South Dakota National Guard, confronted the protesters after they used vans to form a blockade to call for the Black Hills to be returned to the Lakota people. As law enforcement officers advanced on the blockade, protesters scuffled with the officers and took one of their shields.

Tilsen is charged with assault and robbery for allegedly attacking a law enforcement officer and stealing the shield. The new charges stem from his alleged assault of a Pennington County Sheriff's Office detective.

Read more: https://brookingsregister.com/article/mount-rushmore-protest-leader-faces-felony-charges

[marble falls]

1. It'll get tossed.

[mr_lebowski]

3. If it was just for the protest, I'd be inclined to agree ...

If he actually assaulted the cops and it can be proven, then he's probably going to do time.

[BComplex]

4. Yeah, if he did that, he went over the top.

Way over. That's not a peaceful protest.

[stopdiggin]

5. agreed. but judges have to allow for real life situations

You'd agree that protest is a bit of a tricky legal area?
Protest line -- law enforcement advances into line of protesters -- physically pushing through -- if protester pushes back, that's legally assault. But I think that kind of action is the type that should be ignored -- in fact understood as part of the protest. On the other hand -- if either side is swinging fists (or any other object), hurling things at "opponents" -- different deal entirely.

And -- freely admit that I do not know the particular circumstances here. Seems to me if you are physically removing gear from a police officer -- that rises to a level a little more involved than just a bit of pushing and shoving.

[mr_lebowski]

6. I'm in the exact same boat as you ...

[uppityperson]

2. Good grief

[2naSalit]

7. There were several eyewitnesses and cameras there...

I watched it on a livestream. So get the videos queued up.