An 83-year-old Champlin man charged with crashing his van into a Minneapolis bus shelter in early July, seriously injuring five people, will not see prison time.
George Jensen is charged with five counts of criminal vehicular operation for the incident July 9 at the intersection of Broadway and Lyndale Avenues.
Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman, who called the case "strange" and said Minnesota statute is "lacking" in addressing it, said age plays a role as well in his future sentence.
"He will not go to prison unless you have more criminal history," he said at a Friday afternoon press conference.
Activist Spike Moss confronted Freeman about why hate crime or attempted murder charges were not brought for the African-American victims. Community organizers had expressed their anger since the beginning, saying Jensen, who circled the block, targeted the group waiting for the bus because of their race.
"These injustices have continued from the 54 years that I was fighting" for civil rights, Moss said. "It's still here. The misery. The disrespect. It's still here."
Freeman said the investigation could not prove intent, which is why he was left with criminal vehicular homicide.
The attorney's office described the serious injuries suffered by the victims: "One victim suffered multiple pelvic fractures and significant blood loss as well as fractures of the ribs and vertebra. Another victim suffered rib fractures, a lacerated spleen, fractures of both legs, a lung contusion and scalp laceration. A third victim suffered a traumatic brain injury and multiple fractured ribs. Another victim suffered a fractured spine and the final victim suffered multiple rib fractures, the complaint states."
Freeman says two are still hospitalized.
"People are going to carry these injuries the rest of their lives," Moss said. "And be traumatized the rest of their lives."
Moss says if the driver was black, the charges would have been more harsh.
"This is too painful for my people, who can be crushed under a truck and nothing's done — in broad daylight, in the middle of their neighborhood. This is too much. They must have justice," Moss said.
According to prosecutors, surveillance video showed Jensen turning right past the shelter after talking to three women and pulling into a liquor store parking lot. He drove through the lot and back onto Lyndale. He then sideswiped a Metro Transit bus, backed up and hit it again without stopping or talking to the driver. Video shows Jensen tapping his brakes four times "for no apparent reason" as he veered between lanes. As he came to the middle of the block he veered onto the curb so two tires were on it. He "accelerated slowly" running over a bench, bike rack and news stand before ramming into the bus shelter.
Freeman says Jensen gave conflicting statements, at one point saying he confused the brake and acceleration pedals, but "could not explain why he needed to hit the brake or why he was on the sidewalk," per a release. The attorney's office says, according to a witness, Jensen came to the area frequently for three years, sometimes offering women $10 for their phone numbers. Jensen said he talks to one woman in particular and sometimes gives her money "just to help her out."
A date for Jensen's first court appearance has not yet been set. Investigators are still looking for the van's black box, but believe Jensen was driving under the speed limit. Freeman says it's possible they revisit the case if that shows more information.
