RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) - Lawyers for the leader of a July 3 protest before President Donald Trump’s visit to Mount Rushmore want training and other materials used by law enforcement and the National Guard who used force to disperse protesters.
The Rapid City Journal reports defense lawyer Bruce Ellison said during a hearing Friday that his legal team needs to know if the deployments were legal, how the riot lines mobilized so quickly, and what law enforcement and the Guard were told to expect.
Pennington County prosecutor Kelsey Weber argued the materials were either tactical in nature, or too burdensome and irrelevant to the case.
Evidence shown in court earlier included a video that showed Tilsen taking a shield from a National Guard soldier.
Tilsen is charged with second-degree robbery and grand theft in the alternative, meaning Tilsen could only be convicted of one - not both - of those charges in relation to the shield. He’s also charged with two counts of simple assault against law enforcement.
Tilsen faces up to 16 years in prison.
Former South Dakota U.S. Attorney Brendan Johnson has been one of Tilsen’s defense lawyers.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.