Ferguson protester sentenced to 8 years in prison for starting fire at gas station

ST. LOUIS – One of the more visible protesters during last year’s unrest in Ferguson has been sentenced to eight years in prison for starting a fire at a gas station during demonstrations after a fatal police shooting in nearby Berkeley.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports (http://bit.ly/1RHvk25 ) a St. Louis County circuit judge sentenced 19-year-old Joshua Williams on Thursday. Williams pleaded guilty last month to arson, burglary and stealing.

The fire at a QuikTrip was lit during protests over the killing of Antonio Martin, who was fatally shot in December by a police officer at a gas station across the street.

Prosecutors had asked for a 15-year sentence, while Williams’ attorney asked for a suspended or lesser sentence.

Williams was frequently quoted and photographed while protesting the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson.

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Information from: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, http://www.stltoday.com

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