Branden Wolfe had hoped for a lighter sentence. Federal authorities accused him of conspiracy to commit arson in the burning of a police building in the days following the death of George Floyd.
Authorities alleged he “pushed a barrel into a fire located in the entrance of the third precinct headquarters”, fuelling the fire. A judge gave him a prison sentence of 41 months for the crime.
But Wolfe, 23, told Al Jazeera in an exclusive interview he does not feel guilty of the charge.
Wolfe said he did not “conspire” to commit arson with four others charged when he rolled a wooden barrel into the burning precinct, though he said he does regret his actions that evening. Undiagnosed mental health issues and tumultuous personal life – including years of homelessness – influenced his actions, he said.
For helping torch Third Precinct, he gets prison, $12M restitution
St. Paul man sentenced to prison and $12 million restitution for arson of Minneapolis Third Precinct Branden M. Wolfe of St. Paul also stole police weapons, other gear during last summer s riots in Minneapolis. May 5, 2021 10:35am Text size Copy shortlink:
A St. Paul man who helped burn down the Minneapolis Third Precinct headquarters and stole police weapons and other gear during last summer s riots was sentenced this week to 3 ½ years in prison and ordered to pay $12 million in restitution.
Branden Michael Wolfe, 23, was among hundreds who gathered outside the south Minneapolis police station on May 28, three days after George Floyd was killed during an encounter with four Minneapolis police officers, which was captured on bystander video. The crowd tore down a fence surrounding the building and chanted, Burn it down
Two other men, Bryce Michael Williams, 27, and Davon De-Andre Turner, 25, each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit arson for arson. Williams and Turner will be sentenced at a later date for their involvement in the arson of the Third Precinct building.