Eight Indicted On Charges Stemming From Criminal Acts During May 30 Protest in Pittsburgh

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The U.S. Attorney's office has indicted eight Pittsburgh residents for criminal activity that took place during the protest in Pittsburgh on May 30.

The protest was sparked by the death of George Floyd in Minnesota just days earlier.

"Throwing IEDs and bricks at police officers, throwing projectiles at and striking police horses, and setting police cruisers on fire are not the protected First Amendment activities of a peaceful protest; they are criminal acts that violate federal law," said U.S. Attorney Brady. "We will continue to identify and prosecute these agitators, whose acts of violence hijacked a lawful protest and undermined a message of equality with one of destruction."

8 Indicted for Criminal Activity - including Arson, Obstruction & Bank Burglary - during May 30, 2020 Civil Disorder in #Pittsburgh @FBIPittsburgh @ATFPHILADELPHIA @PghPolice https://t.co/XTMMLFRhLu pic.twitter.com/5VkFmIlld0

— WDPAnews (@WDPAnews) July 29, 2020

George Allen (31), Nicholas Lucia (25), Andrew Augustyniak-Duncan (25), Raekwon Dac Blankenship (24), Devin Montgomery (24), Brandon Benson (29), Da’Jon Lengyel (22) and Christopher West (35) were all indicted on various charges.

The charges in the separate indictments include obstruction of law enforcement, malicious destruction of property, and for two of the suspects, bank burglary.

"The defendants in this case posed as protesters to hijack otherwise peaceful demonstrations," said John Schmidt, acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives’ Philadelphia Field Division.

In the weeks since the protest, police have been working to identify criminal suspects from the riot and other protests.

"The Pittsburgh Bureau of Police is committed to serving every resident, every visitor, and every person who works in the city of Pittsburgh. We have a track record of assuring the public’s First Amendment rights, and we will continue to protect those rights. But when protests turn violent, we have an obligation to protect everyone—including business owners, peaceful protesters, and law enforcement officers who are attacked for simply doing their jobs," Pittsburgh Police Chief Scott Schubert said.

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