Charges dismissed against state Sen. Louise Lucas in vandalism of Portsmouth's Confederate monument

[Yonnie3]

https://www.pilotonline.com/news/crime/vp-nw-lucas-monument-motions-20201116-6c4btca5lfaknnj5apfxvwcbr4-story.html

From the Virginian Pilot
IMO this is why the Police Chief was fired. There is lots more at the link.

Charges dismissed against state Sen. Louise Lucas in vandalism of Portsmouth’s Confederate monument
By Margaret Matray
The Virginian-Pilot |
Nov 16, 2020 at 9:26 AM

PORTSMOUTH — A judge dismissed charges Monday against state Sen. Louise Lucas and all others charged in a June protest at the city’s Confederate monument at the request of the city’s top prosecutor, who said the elements of the charges were not properly met.

The felony charges against Lucas and 18 others — including local NAACP leaders, several public defenders and a School Board member — stem from a June 10 protest at the city’s Confederate monument in which demonstrators vandalized the statues.

Portsmouth Police Chief Angela Greene announced the charges at a press conference two months after the protest, to the surprise of the city manager and the city’s elected prosecutor, neither of whom knew charges were coming. Police didn’t consult with the commonwealth’s attorney about them.

Activists and Virginia Democrats questioned the timing of the charges, which came a day before a General Assembly special session. Lucas, a veteran Democratic legislator, has been an outspoken advocate for police reform.

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