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 into five men at a Minneapolis bus shelter last year pleaded guilty Wednesday to

George Jensen sat in a wheelchair next to his lawyer and admitted that he had seriously injured five men last July. However, Jensen said he didn't mean to drive his van into the shelter.

“I didn’t do that accident on purpose,” said Jensen.

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Jensen's attorney Mark Kelly said Jensen has dementia and can't walk very far without the help of a walker. Kelly said Jensen’s physical limitations were partially to blame for his mistakenly hitting the accelerator instead of the brake pedal.

The victims suffered broken bones, internal injuries and lacerations. A few have needed surgeries to repair the damage.

Under a proposed agreement, Jensen would not serve jail time. Instead, he'd get three years’ probation, community service instead of time in the workhouse and he'd have to surrender his driver's license.

However, Judge Jay Quam said he's not comfortable with the deal and has asked to hear from the victims before he makes a decision. Quam also ordered a neurological exam of Jensen.

Outside the courtroom, activist Daphne Brown with the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice 4 Jamar said she was glad the judge didn’t accept the plea agreement. Brown said Jensen’s defense rings hollow.

“They were just petty excuses to excuse what George had done to those innocent people. That’s all they were,” said Brown.

She and other activists have been paying close attention to Jensen’s case. They say race played a role in how the case was charged, because Jensen is white and the five victims are people of color. They contend that Jensen should have been charged with assault or attempted murder.

Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman declined to comment following the hearing. But he’s said that there wasn’t enough evidence to charge Jensen with more serious crimes.

Crime, Law and Justice

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Brandt Williams

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The judge said he’s not comfortable with a plea deal and wants to hear from crash victims before he decides to accept it or not.

Six people were hurt when a van slammed into a crowded bus stop shelter.

Van driver pleads guilty in crash that injured five men

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