The man responsible for the death of Deona Marie has been charged with second-degree murder, according to the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.
Krause was arrested Sunday night when he jumped a barricade, driving into a crowd of protestors striking and killing Marie.
When he was arrested, Krause gave a false name to authorities, which was discovered the next day while they interviewed him.
According to police, Krause stated that he saw the barricade, a car, and he believed he needed to get over it so he accelerated. He also admitted to knowing there were people around it and that he might have hit someone.
Krause acknowledged that he hit the barricade and that he may have hit people while driving at and through the barricade.
Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman discussed the intentional murder charge that Krause is facing and why it was intentional.
“[Krause] was at least partially drunk,” Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said. “He drove up to the barricades on Lake Street, he decided that he was going to go over them and accelerated rather than break, almost like a ‘Dukes of Hazard’ stunt.”
Because he was aware of the danger and the people in the area they have decided to more forward with the second-degree intentional murder charge.
“‘Is it an aggressive charge?’ Yes, it is,” Freeman said. “We think that we need to make a statement that this kind of conduct is simply not acceptable and we’re gonna use the power of this office to try and say that.”
Freeman also said in a press conference that at this time, there is no evidence that this attack was premeditated or targeted at the protestors.
The car that Krause was using was not in his name, leading to him giving authorities a false name.
Since the incident, protestors have continued to gather in the Uptown area occupying the area where Winston Smith was fatally shot, and where Marie was killed.
Governor Tim Walz has put the Minnesota National Guard in a state of standby, just one stage short of mobilization, so they can be ready to assist if the city encounters civil unrest.
Minneapolis police officers attempted to clear barricades blocking off the area in Uptown throughout the day yesterday. By the end of the day, they began making arrests outside the parking garage where Smith was shot.