St. Paul man sentenced for role in arson of MPD 3rd Precinct

A St. Paul man was sentenced Tuesday for his role in the burning of the Minneapolis Police Department’s Third Precinct building.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office said 23-year-old Branden Michael Wolfe was sentenced to over three years (41 months) in prison and was ordered to pay $12 million in restitution. He will also serve two years of supervised release.

Court documents say Wolfe went to the Third Precinct on the night of May 28, 2020, where hundreds of people had gathered. As some people tore down a fence designed to keep trespassers out, Wolfe pushed a barrel into a fire in the entrance of the precinct to try to accelerate the fire. Prosecutors say Wolfe also entered the precinct and stole several items, including a police vest, handcuffs, a knife, pistol magazine, police radio and ammunition.

Co-conspirators Bryce Michael Williams and Davon De-Andre Turner have also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit arson for their roles in burning the precinct. They will be sentenced at a later date. Dylan Shakespeare Robinson was sentenced to four years in prison for his role in the arson last week.

"ATF is committed to investigating the civil unrest arsons of 2020 that occurred throughout the Twin Cities," Special Agent in Charge Terry Henderson, of the ATF St. Paul Field Division, said. "Arson, being inherently violent, is a serious crime that puts our community members and first responders at risk, and it cannot be tolerated."