Heavy snow and difficult travel expected again, heaviest snow in southern Minnesota

MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all. 

Turn Up Your Support

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.

 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.”

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.

“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.

Crime, Law and Justice

Health

Mental Health

Martin Moylan

Author

The judge said the sentence reflects Burfield's age at the time of the attack and mental health struggles. Burfield had recently turned 18. 

Hennepin County Jail

Mohammed Dukuly, a teaching assistant at Harrison Education Center

Former Minneapolis student sentenced for attack that nearly killed teaching assistant

Go Deeper.

Like this?