A Wright County man and a Minneapolis man were charged with criminal damage to property and third-degree riot Friday for allegedly vandalizing squad cars parked outside a St. Paul Target store amid the aftermath of George Floyd’s death.
On May 27, as officers stood guard outside the Midway retailer after reports of looting, a group of people gathered near squad cars in the parking lot and started hurling objects at them, according to criminal complaints filed in Ramsey County District Court.
The incident was caught on video, and law enforcement later identified Maurice Antonio Anderson, 29, of Minneapolis and Phillip John Williams, 43, of Otsego as among the vandals, the charges say.
Anderson reportedly threw and pushed shopping carts into the squads and also hurled a bike at a windshield, the criminal complaint said.
Williams was seen throwing a sewer cap through a rear window, the charges say.
Damage to the vehicles, which belonged to both the State Patrol and St. Paul police, totaled nearly $20,000 collectively.
Anderson’s criminal history includes three prior felony convictions, including third-degree criminal sexual conduct, second-degree riot and failure to register as a predatory offender.
Williams has a pending obstructing legal process case in Wright County from a May 30 incident in which he reportedly refused to turn down this music and resisted arrest, legal documents say.
Both are expected to make their first appearance in court later this month. No attorney was listed for them in court records.
Others could face charges in the case as the investigation continues.
Floyd died on Memorial Day as he was being arrested by Minneapolis police.