53-year-old Matthew Michanowicz, from Pennsylvania, placed a backpack full of explosives in downtown Pittsburgh. This happened during a Black Lives Matter protest last year.
On Monday, a judge sentenced him to time served and three years probation for the incident that followed the George Floyd killing.
Michanowicz faced 10 years in prison for illegal possession of an unregistered device. He was in custody for the last 18 months, awaiting trial.
Defense lawyers stated that the man lost his job and was dealing with the death of his father and friend. Therefore, he wasn’t thinking correctly.
On May 31, 2020 Michanowicz rode his bike near a BLM protest. He put down a backpack containing ” homemade Molotov cocktails,” near the location.
Video footage shows a man with the backpack, and when he returned to the area later, he was questioned.
Michanowicz admitted to the crime although the explosives never went off, and he plead quilty to planting the devices in August 2021.
Many protesters have been given prison time for their part in the protests, including a 20-year-old who got 4 years. Therefore, some people are outraged that Michanowicz’s punishment was so minimal.
