Man Accused Of Attacking Mounted Unit, Police Car During Downtown Riots Pleads Guilty
By: KDKA-TV News Staff
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - A man who police say wielded a stop sign as he attacked horses with the Pittsburgh Police Mounted Patrol and a cop car during the downtown protest that turned violent on May 30 has pleaded guilty.
The Allegheny County District Attorney's Office says Raekwon Blankenship pleaded guilty for his role in the protest that turned into a riot following George Floyd's death.
According to the criminal complaint, Blankenship used a stop sign to hit a horse with the Pittsburgh Police Mounted Unit named Toby. He's accused of throwing the sign "in a javelin-type style," impaling a police car and cracking the front windshield as the officers inside escaped.
The criminal complaint also says video shows him jumping on the hood of an unmarked police car that was later torched.
Blankenship pleaded guilty to charges of aggravated assault on officers, criminal mischief, riot, propulsion of missiles into an occupied vehicle and illegally taunting a police animal. Some charges like recklessly endangering another person and animal cruelty were dropped.
His sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 12.