NEW YORK (AP) — A New York City lawyer was sentenced to 15 months in prison after he and another lawyer blew up an empty New York City police car with a Molotov cocktail Friday during a protest. Murder of George Floyd.
before hearing her words Urzi Rahman He asked the judge to spare her jail time to give her a “second chance” to redeem what she called a fleeting misjudgment.
“I am deeply sorry for my reckless and wrong actions,” a tearful Rahman said at federal court in Brooklyn. … completely lost in the emotions of the night.”
U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan praised her for choosing a career in public interest law to combat social injustice.
“You’re an amazing person who did terrible things overnight,” Corgan said.
However, Corgan also scolded her for thinking she could get away with a violent protest.
“It shows an amazing amount of arrogance. … It’s a very arrogant way of thinking,” he said.
Federal prosecutors handed down sentences of 18 to 24 months as part of a plea bargain.
Rahman and Colinford Mathis Arrested Demonstrators clashed with police on May 30, 2020, after Floyd was killed by police officers in Minnesota.
Surveillance cameras recorded Rahman throwing an incendiary device at a parked police car and setting its console on fire. No one was injured in the attack, but the vehicle was heavily damaged.
Officers arrested the lawyer moments later and said they found a lighter, a Bud Light beer bottle with toilet paper, and a gas tank in the back of a minivan driven by corporate attorney Mattis. He claimed that he was planning to distribute and throw Molotov cocktails.
Other lawyers condemned their actions, Some challenged the severity of the chargesalleging the case was improperly handled as if it were an act of domestic terrorism. sent the court a legal brief criticizing the handling of the case.
Rahman and Mattis have been disqualified. Mattis is due to be sentenced next month.