Powerline by Scott Johnson 1/28/2022
I was invited to appear on FOX News last night for a brief segment to discuss the January 14 sentencing of Montez Terriel Lee, Jr. The segment was tentatively bumped to this evening. I am posting this for viewers in the event that the segment runs tonight. The relevance of the story is enhanced by the fact that sentencing judge Wilhelmina “Mimi” Wright is now reportedly on the shortlist of potential nominees to succeed Justice Breyer on the Supreme Court:
When the authorities let the Minneapolis Police Department’s Third Precinct headquarters burn following the death of George Floyd on Memorial Day 2020, all hell broke loose. Thugs from all over the state made their way to the Twin Cities to participate in the orgy of riots, destruction and looting that spread throughout the Twin Cities. The destruction was wanton.
Hundreds, if not thousands, of people participated in the rampage, but only a few perpetrators have been charged. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives led the investigation of 150 arsons throughout the Twin Cities that occurred the week after Floyd’s death. The United States Attorney for the District of Minnesota has brought arson cases against a handful or two of defendants. See generally the Minnesota Reformer story by Rilyn Eischens “One year later, few charges for the arson and destruction.”
Though there was initial chatter that the perpetrators were outside agitators, the defendants charged are mostly homegrown Minnesotans. At least one perpetrator was out on probation, while others appear to have been anarchists or malcontents eager to sow chaos for whatever reason, even if there was no evident gain to be achieved.
One such arsonist was Montez Terriel Lee, Jr. Lee came up to the Twin Cities from Rochester to get in on the action on May 28. Lee was part of a small group that broke into the Max It Pawn Shop on East Lake Street in Minneapolis, home to many minority-owned businesses. The pawn shop was looted. Lee poured out a can of gasoline and ignited a fire that consumed the shop.
Videos captured the action. Lee was proud of it. Filmed outside the shop as it burned, Lee commented: “bleep this place. We’re gonna burn this bitch down.”
Bystanders knew someone had been caught in the fire. Two months later the authorities found Oscar Lee Stewart, Jr. in the charred remains of the pawn shop. The Star Tribune covered that part of the case here.
More:
https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2022/01/felony-murder-in-a-good-cause-fox-news-edition.php
