A Washington state man pleaded guilty Tuesday to first-degree criminal damage to property, becoming the first felony conviction stemming from protest activities related to the Republican National Convention.
Joseph Matthew Robinson, 26, admitted in court that he had slashed the tires on an AirBear charter bus for convention delegates at the Hilton Garden Inn hotel at 411 Minnesota St. in downtown St. Paul, the Ramsey County attorney's office said.
Robinson's sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 12.
According to the criminal complaint, two St. Paul police officers assigned to protect delegates were sitting in the back of a bus on Sept. 1. While onboard, they saw a man wearing a red shirt and a black cloth over his face approach the charter bus parked in front of their bus. He then slashed that bus's tires.
Police chased Robinson and tackled him at Sixth and Minnesota streets with a citizen's help. Two witnesses also saw the vandalism, the complaint said.
Robinson initially refused to give his name.
The county attorney's office has charged 18 adults and one juvenile with felonies in connection with the RNC. Police made more than 800 arrests before and during the four-day event; many arrestees were charged with misdemeanors, which are less serious.
Of about 100 RNC-related arrests in Minneapolis, none resulted in felony charges, according to Deputy Hennepin County Attorney Pat Diamond.
St. Paul RNC Aftermath / Protester pleads guilty to felony Washington man admits slashing tires on bus for convention delegates |