A man who was involved in the Ferguson protests last year has been sentenced to eight years in prison after pleading guilty to arson, burglary and theft related to the fire, according to CBS News.
Joshua Williams, 19, started a fire at QuikTrip in Berkeley in 2014 during the protests that followed the death of Antonio Martin at the hands of a police officer on Dec. 23. Williams set the fire close to the gas station where Martin was shot, St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.
Williams reportedly entered the Quiktrip in the early hours of Dec. 24 after looters had broken its glass doors and set a fire outside using lighter fluid. He was caught on security tape carrying out these acts. No one was injured during the fire, and no substantial damage was done to the property.
St. Louis County Circiut Judge John D. Warner Jr. sentenced Williams to eight years for his actions, while prosecutors had reportedly been pushing for a sentence of fifteen years. William pleaded guilty on all counts, Fox News reported.
Williams' supporters filled the courtroom, singing "Justice for Josh Williams, justice for all of us" while the judge reviewed the information. There was an outburst of anger when the sentence was announced, as Williams' attorneys had been trying for a lesser or suspended sentence.
The 19-year-old was a frequent player in the protests and demonstrations following the death of teenager Michael Brown in August 2014, having marched arm in arm with author and activist Cornel West to protest the shooting. He was arrested during other related demonstrations for refusal to disperse and unlawful assembly.
Williams' eight-year sentence for arson will run concurrently with his sentences for burglary and stealing, according to Fox News.
