Oklahoma DA slaps teens with terrorism charges, accuses BLM of intimidating officers, protecting criminals
'When you employ these tactics for a political purpose, you are a terrorist,' Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater said.
Two teenagers are the latest to face
terrorism charges after allegedly helping to break in the windows of an
Oklahoma City bail bonds business in late May during the
civil unrest that swept the nation in the wake of the death of
George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis.
Several dozen protesters conducted a sit-in at the office of Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater on Monday to demand that he drop the terrorism charges and resign. But Prater maintained last week that those who incite violence in the streets are “criminals” who “have subverted peaceful protests and impaired the open discussion regarding race in our country.”
Prater also accused Black Lives Matter protestors of trying to intimidate him and law enforcement and of defending “criminals who are violent, exploitive and unscrupulous.”
The district attorney said: “It is my job to protect innocent citizens and their property and I will continue to do it to the best of my ability.”
At least three others had been charged with terrorism after the May 30 incident.
Isael Antonio Ortiz, 21, of Welch, was indicted on two terrorism counts for allegedly first setting fire to an Oklahoma County sheriff’s van before then trying to burn down CJ's Bail Bonds,
the Oklahoman reported. Eric Christopher Ruffin, 26, of Oklahoma City, was charged with terrorism and accused of encouraging “wanton destruction” by recording himself helping Ortiz set the sheriff’s van ablaze.
Oklahoma DA slaps teens with terrorism charges, accuses BLM of intimidating officers, protecting criminals