No felony charges to be filed in Minneapolis City Hall incident involving far-right agitator

The Hennepin County Attorney's Office announced that it has declined to file felony charges related to an incident involving far-right instigator and pardoned Jan. 6 insurrectionist Jake Lang at Minneapolis City Hall.

On Tuesday, the attorney's office said the decision was made due to prior communication between Minneapolis police and Lang's security detail. 

"There is not a path forward for felony charges to be proven beyond a reasonable doubt," the county attorney's office said in a statement. 

Police say Lang held a protest around noon Saturday in front of City Hall when he and two others, in two cars, unexpectedly drove a truck onto the sidewalk and toward a crowd of counter-protesters.

Police say a confrontation between the two groups happened quickly and chemical irritants were used by both sides. Police also say there is no evidence an MPD officer on scene deployed any irritant.

Bill Peterson, the Interim Chief for the Minneapolis Police Department, said during a press conference that three officers were injured, with one needing to be transferred to a local hospital. That officer has since been released and none suffered serious injuries.

The county attorney's office said that an officer was struck by the truck while helping a community member who fell in front of the vehicle, adding that the officer "feared the driver did not see the community member on the ground with the surrounding crowd and chaos."

Felony assault, however, requires intent, and the officer said he did not believe the driver saw what was happening

County Attorney Mary Moriarty called Lang's actions over the weekend "despicable and disgusting."

"A lack of felony charges does not in any way condone this conduct," County Attorney Mary Moriarty said. "This is a legal decision based on applicable law, and we simply cannot prove the requisite intent in light of the evidence of communication and logistical coordination."

The county attorney's office added that the Minneapolis City Attorney's Office can still pursue gross misdemeanor or misdemeanor charges. A Minneapolis city spokesperson said the city attorney will begin a review of the cases "once submitted and upon receipt of all the evidence."

Featured video is from Aug. 23, 2026