Branden M. Wolfe of St. Paul also stole police weapons, other gear during last summer’s riots in Minneapolis.
A St. Paul man who helped burn down the Minneapolis Third Precinct headquarters and stole police weapons and other gear during last summer’s riots was sentenced this week to 3 ½ years in prison and ordered to pay $12 million in restitution.
Branden Michael Wolfe, 23, was among hundreds who gathered outside the south Minneapolis police station on May 28, three days after George Floyd was killed during an encounter with four Minneapolis police officers, which was captured on bystander video. The crowd tore down a fence surrounding the building and chanted, “Burn it down!”
While others set a fire, Wolfe rolled a barrel into the police station with “the intent to accelerate” the blaze, according to court records. He also entered the building and stole a police vest, duty belt, handcuffs, earpiece, baton, knife, riot helmet, pistol magazine, police radio, police overdose kit, uniform name plates and ammunition, according to prosecutors. Continue reading.