Jerome Richardson, Philadelphia student who helped Don Lemon cover Minnesota church protest, turns himself in
A Temple University student says he turned himself in Monday on federal charges connected to the protest at a Minnesota church that was covered and livestreamed by journalist Don Lemon.
Jerome Richardson was in federal custody, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said Monday, according to CBS News Minnesota. Court documents list him as one of nine people indicted in connection with a Jan. 18 demonstration at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Protesters said they targeted Cities Church because one of the pastors, David Easterwood, heads the ICE field office in St. Paul.
CBS News Philadelphia reached out to federal prosecutors and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for comment on this story.
Lemon and independent journalist Georgia Fort were covering the protest against federal immigration actions in Minnesota by ICE, Customs and Border Protection and other agencies, billed as "Operation Pull Up," according to the indictment. Lemon was livestreaming the protest on his The Don Lemon Show account.
Both Lemon and Fort have been charged. Lemon said in a late-night TV interview he was brought into custody after about a dozen federal agents came to his Los Angeles hotel last week.
"You have the right to worship freely and safely ... and if you violate that sacred right, we are coming after you," Bondi said in a video posted on social media.
Richardson, in a YouTube video attached to an online fundraising page, said he's a 21-year-old college senior with plans to graduate in May.
A St. Paul native, Richardson said he was there helping Lemon with logistics and getting the former CNN host connected with local activists as he prepared to cover the demonstration live on YouTube.
"Don was reporting on the situation on the ground during the occupation by DHS and ICE and Border Patrol agents. At that time, I was proud to support his work in exposing the everyday injustices that resulted from the agenda. As a consequence of this support, I'm now being targeted by Trump and the federal administration," Richardson said in the video.
"This is the price of being unapologetic about humanity and love of Christ," he continued, noting he supported the protesters, highlighting "the hypocrisy of how Pastor David Easterwood could simultaneously be a pastor at the church and the local leader of ICE operations."
"What people are experiencing goes against human and civil rights as well as the teachings of Jesus, who indeed flipped over tables," Richardson said in the video.
Richardson asked for prayers for his safety and peace of mind, for demonstrations against ICE and DHS to continue and for donations to help with legal fees.
An online fundraising page for his legal defense has raised over $30,000. According to that page, Richardson turned himself in to federal authorities in Philadelphia on Monday.
The U.S. Attorney's Office in Philadelphia deferred comment to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Minnesota. CBS News Philadelphia has not yet heard back with more information.
The indictment lists two charges: one count of conspiracy against the right of religious freedom at a place of worship, and one count of injuring, intimidating or interfering with exercising the right of religious freedom.
Another person listed in the indictment with Richardson, Lemon and others is Ian David Austin — he is a military veteran from Pennsylvania, according to reports.
Austin's attorney Sarah Gad says he was arrested Friday afternoon and held over the weekend in a county jail. Austin was released after making an initial court appearance Monday.
"Mr. Austin is a military veteran who served multiple deployments overseas, and his decision to protest reflects the same commitment to this country and its values that led him to serve in uniform. Seeing him prosecuted for that is troubling, and we intend to vigorously defend the case through the court process," Gad said in an emailed statement.
Temple University released a statement about Richardson's charges that said in part:
We understand that the circumstances surrounding this matter are developing. Out of respect for the privacy of the student and the ongoing legal process, the University will not comment on the specifics.
As we've shared previously, we deeply value the First Amendment, including the rights of free speech, a free press and the freedom to exercise religion. We encourage and educate our students to engage thoughtfully and lawfully to advocate for their beliefs and values, raise awareness and contribute to constructive dialogue.