A second night of rioting and looting erupted in Philadelphia after the fatal police shooting of a black man allegedly armed with a knife. In another incident, a prominent activist, Anthony Smith, who admitted his involvement in overturning a police vehicle during the 2020 protests in response to the death of George Floyd, has been sentenced to a year in prison.
Smith pleaded guilty to a federal charge of obstructing law enforcement during a civil disturbance, including aiding and abetting arson. According to prosecutors, Smith helped others launch an empty Philadelphia police car outside City Hall on May 31, 2020. When the vehicle caught fire after someone shot a flare into it on the road, Smith allegedly threw a piece of paper into the fire.
During his sentencing hearing, Judge Juan Sanchez heard impassioned pleas from Smith’s family, friends and former students, who urged him not to impose a prison sentence. However, the judge sentenced him to a year and a day in prison, followed by two years of supervised release. That sentence was less than the 30 months or more recommended by prosecutors and significantly shorter than the terms given to two co-defendants.
In related developments, Khalif Miller and Carlos Matchett, who were involved in the same incident, received sentences of 61 months and 46 months, respectively. Two other defendants who pleaded guilty to setting cars on fire during the demonstration received shorter sentences: Ayoub Tabri was sentenced to 364 days, and Lore-Elisabeth Blumenthal received 2 1/2 years.
The ruling comes months after Philadelphia officials announced a $9.25 million settlement of lawsuits filed by Smith and other activists challenging the police response to protests and civil unrest following the death of George Floyd. The settlement will be distributed among 343 plaintiffs affected by police actions during the protests.
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