Two women arrested at election protests in Minneapolis were charged with pointing a laser into the eyes of one officer and kicking another in the groin.
Amina Mussa McCaskill, 19, was charged with one count of felony second-degree riot, and Thressa Johnson, 29, was charged with fourth-degree assault, assault on a peace officer, and obstructing the legal process.
More than 600 protesters were arrested on Wednesday night and early Thursday morning for blocking a stretch of I-94 in Minneapolis. At the protest, organized by groups collectively known as “Don’t Let Trump Steal the Election,” McCaskill allegedly shined a laser “directly” into the eyes of a Minneapolis police officer. Officers later found the laser on McCaskill and she admitted to her actions.
The officer was wearing safety glasses and was unharmed by the laser.
“Shining a laser into the eyes of officers has occurred at a number of protests around the country and is very dangerous to the officers,” the court documents obtained by the Star Tribune said. “Multiple officers in the United States have suffered significant damage to their vision as a result of being hit in the eyes with such a laser.”
Johnson allegedly refused to comply with a police officer’s orders during the protest. As officers tried to “escort” her away, one felt “she was going to strike him with her hands in the face area.” The officer pushed her hands away, “at which point, she kicked him in the groin area,” the police said. Johnson was “taken to the ground” and proceeded to yell and cause the “riot situation to get worse,” as bystanders became hostile to law enforcement.
Minneapolis has been gripped by a rolling cycle of protests and riots after George Floyd died in May. On Nov. 3, 14 people were arrested after shooting “large firecrackers” at police. Owners and insurance experts estimate that the damage from riots in May and early June alone totals $500 million.
