Former Minneapolis student sentenced for attack that nearly killed teaching assistant
Victim says Corey Burfield's one year jail sentence is too soft
A Hennepin County judge on Thursday sentenced a former Minneapolis high school student to one year in jail and five years of probation for a violent assault that almost killed a teaching assistant.
Corey Burfield attacked Mohammed Dukuly at the Harrison Education Center in Minneapolis last year.
State prosecutor Jason Heaser sought an 86-month sentence for the crime.
“Mohammed Dukuly … was without a pulse and not breathing,” Heaser told judge William Koch. “Without the miracle of modern medicine, he would have died.”
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But the judge decided the state’s proposed sentence was too severe. He said the sentence he handed down reflects Burfield’s decision to plead guilty, his age at the time of the attack and mental health struggles. Burfield had recently turned 18, and has struggled with autism and other mental health and behavioral issues.
“I’m not going to send you to prison now,” the judge told Burfield. “I hope I never send you to prison. That will depend on your behavior.” And he added, “You are fortunate HCMC and the University of Minnesota were able to essentially perform a miracle.”
Burfield will be allowed to leave jail for work, school and counseling.
Dukuly said the sentence was too light.
“The decision today was not fair for what happened to me,” he said. “He (Burfield) should have gone to prison for some time to set a deterrence to protect the education environment.”
Dukuly told the judge he is in constant pain and has difficulty walking. He said he believes Burfield's attack was premeditated and racially motivated. Dukuly is an immigrant from Liberia; Burfield is white.