The Hennepin County Attorney's office says it will not file felony charges against Jake Lang, the far right activist who was arrested for attempting to incite a riot outside Minneapolis City Hall on Saturday.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty called Jake Lang's conduct on Saturday 'despicable and disgusting,' adding that a lack of felony charges does not in any way condone his behavior.
But after a review of extensive evidence of communication and logistical coordination between the Minneapolis Police Department and Lang’s security detail for what was a planned demonstration on Saturday, Moriarty said there is not a path forward for felony charges to be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
“Mr. Lang had been in prison for four years for violent crimes committed against law enforcement at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, before being released from prison after being pardoned by Donald Trump,” Moriarty said Tuesday.
A Minneapolis Police officer was injured during the incident after being struck by a vehicle, but felony assault requires intent. The officer noted in his report that he did not believe that the driver saw what was happening when he was struck.
"This is a legal decision based on applicable law, and we simply cannot prove the requisite intent in light of the evidence of communication and logistical coordination," Moriarty added in a statement.
This decision does not prohibit the Minneapolis City Attorney from pursuing applicable gross misdemeanor or misdemeanor charges as they see fit.
Minneapolis Police knew that Lang was coming, and they were ready with barriers outside City Hall intended to provide safe separation between demonstrators and vehicle traffic, as well as strategically placed resources for quick deployment.
But Lang and his supporters illegally drove onto the sidewalk into a large crowd.
There was a scheduled Viking preseason game at noon on Saturday, adding to the traffic on streets and sidewalks outside City Hall.
"Any time there are crowds of people gathered, the last thing we want to see is vehicles driving towards them when we don't know their full intentions," Minneapolis Interim Police Chief Bill Peterson explained.
During a weekend news conference, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey joined the chief also responded to the incident.
"If you're going to come in here, you're going to drive on the sidewalk, you're going to incite a riot, and you're going to be a problem for people's safety, then you're going to get arrested," Frey said.
