No charges for driver who hit Minneapolis protester
Updated 3:50 p.m. | Posted 11:53 a.m.
The Hennepin County Attorney's Office has declined to charge a driver whose car hit a 16-year-old girl during a Nov. 25 demonstration on Lake Street in Minneapolis.
After reviewing all the facts from the investigation, prosecutors determined that the actions driver Jeffrey Rice took "did not reflect intent or actions that constitute a crime that could be charged," the Hennepin County Attorney's Office said in a statement.
Create a More Connected Minnesota
MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.
Minneapolis Police have submitted the investigation findings to the city attorney for possible action but haven't asked for specific charges to be filed, John Elder, the department's public information officer, said Thursday afternoon.
The county handles felony prosecutions, while the city handles misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor offenses.
Police say the girl was treated for minor injuries after a man, later identified as Rice, drove through a crowd at Lake Street and Minnehaha Avenue during rush hour.
The group had gathered to protest a Missouri grand jury's decision not to indict Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Brown.
The Hennepin prosecutor's office on Thursday described Rice's car as "possibly" hitting the demonstrator. However, footage shot on the ground that day showed the girl being pushed several feet after falling underneath the car's front bumper.