Court Overturns Police Shooting Protester’s Conviction

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- A Minnesota appeals court has overturned the conviction of the only person who was tried for blocking a freeway during a protest of the police shooting of Philando Castile.

Jeffrey Berger argued that his conviction for misdemeanor public nuisance was unconstitutional. The three-judge appeals court agreed with his contention that the state failed to provide sufficient evidence that he ``interfered with, obstructed or rendered danger for passage'' on Interstate 94 in St. Paul in July 2016.

The 77-year-old Minneapolis man was one of 44 people prosecuted by the City of St. Paul for protesting the police shooting of Castile by St. Anthony police officer Jeronimo Yanez during a traffic stop in Falcon Heights.

Berger was the only one to go to trial. Forty-three others pleaded guilty.