A 28-year-old man has been given an eight-year sentence for shooting at two National Guard members who were stationed in north Minneapolis in April.
Andrew Thomas pleaded guilty in Hennepin County District Court this week to assault with a dangerous weapon, drive-by shooting and illegal possession of a firearm in connection with firing several shots from an SUV at two Minneapolis squad cars and three Guard vehicles around 4:20 a.m. on April 18.
One soldier in a Humvee was injured by broken glass; the other in the same vehicle sustained “superficial injuries,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, which has a federal case pending against Thomas.
The shooting came two days before a jury delivered a guilty verdict against former Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin, on homicide charges for the death George Floyd.
The soldiers were wounded near N. Penn Avenue and West Broadway while on patrol as part of Operation Safety Net, a joint effort among the Minneapolis Police Department, Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, the state of Minnesota and local jurisdictions that had been activated in response to protests of policing tactics in the Twin Cities. Minnesota National Guard troops were also deployed throughout the duration of Chauvin’s trial.
With credit for time in jail since his arrest, the convictions in state court will have Thomas in prison for about five years, with the balance to be served on supervised release.
Court records have listed addresses for Thomas in Minneapolis and Chicago.
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