Prosecutor Reduces Charges in Protest Case

FILE - David Prater, Oklahoma County District Attorney.(AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, File)

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater agreed Monday to reduce criminal charges against five young people accused of inciting a riot following a confrontation with police in June.

Court records show five defendants initially charged with felony inciting a riot each received a deferred sentence after pleading guilty Monday to a misdemeanor count of obstructing an officer.

“I believe that the guilty pleas today acknowledge the conduct that led to charges being filed while offering the individual an opportunity to dispose of their criminal cases without ruining the remainder of their young lives,” Prater said in a statement.

The five were arrested after a confrontation with a police officer while they were painting a street mural outside the Oklahoma City Police Department. The incident followed two days of street protests in Oklahoma City over racial injustice and police brutality.

Prater has faced some criticism for charging several people involved in those protests with felony terrorism charges amid allegations they broke windows of downtown businesses and set fire to a sheriff’s department van.