At least seven protesters who were arrested during demonstrations over a fatal police shooting in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, were held on $1 million bail set by a judge on Tuesday.
Lancaster City Bureau of Police arrested 12 adults and one juvenile overnight on Sunday when a crowd of more than 100 gathered outside the police station in protest of a shooting that day of Ricardo Munoz, who prosecutors say had run at an officer with a knife.
Police used pepper spray and chemical agents against demonstrators that night.
“Suspects piled street signs, trash cans, a metal dumpster, a metal bike rack, pieces of plywood and a wooden pallet at the intersection of N. Prince St. and W. Chestnut St,” police said in a press release. “The suspects filled the dumpster with additional trash bags, as well as the wood, and set the contents on fire.”
The adults face numerous charges, including conspiracy to commit arson, riot, failure to disperse, institutional vandalism and disorderly conduct. Court records were not immediately available for the adults on Tuesday.
Seven of the adults were held on a $1 million bond set by Magisterial District Judge Bruce Roth, while four others were still awaiting their arraignments. One of the adults was on probation at the time of his arrest.
The juvenile, an unidentified 16-year-old, is facing charges in juvenile court of riot, disorderly conduct, possessing instruments of crime, propulsion of missiles onto a roadway, and institutional vandalism. Juvenile records are sealed to the public and information on the minor’s detainment status is unavailable.
Chip Patterson, whose 20-year-old daughter Kathyrn was among those arrested, said his daughter was acting as a medic and was not guilty of the charges against her.
“I cannot tell you how long this night has been,” Patterson told The Associated Press on Tuesday. “I think regardless of what these people did or didn’t do, the bail amount is just outrageous and clearly against the Eighth Amendment.”
The Eighth Amendment protects against excessive bail and the use of “cruel and unusual punishments."
Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman on Twitter denounced the bail as "blatantly unconstitutional."
Munoz, 27, was shot Sunday when police responded to a call from a woman who said that her brother was reportedly becoming aggressive with his mother and was attempting to break into her house, according to police.
Body camera footage released by police shows that the man was holding what appeared to be a knife as he made his way toward the officer.
(Warning: the images contained in this video are graphic and may be disturbing.)
Police body cam video shows officer shooting suspect in Lancaster, Pa.
Sept. 14, 202001:00The video shows that the officer, who was the only authority on scene at the time, fired several shots. Munoz was hit and fell to the ground, dropping what appeared to be a knife. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office said Munoz had been "brandishing a knife above his head, in clear view, in a threatening manner."
The officer has not been identified and an investigation into the shooting is ongoing.
