An allegedly former Black Lives Matter member has claimed in a YouTube video that the group plotted to burn down state capitol in Saint Paul, Minnesota and the governor’s mansion if the cop accused of shooting a black man hasn’t been prosecuted.
Trey Turner, who claims to have joined the movement after the fatal shooting of Jamar Clark last March, accused the group of discussing potential plans of mayhem in a video posted on YouTube on February 27, titled “the truth about Black Lives Matter”.
He said he became part of the movement because BLM activists insisted they are peaceful and “didn’t hate whites.” Turner said he was part of the “4th Precinct shut down” and participated in the protests at Minnesota governor Mark Dayton’s mansion after Philando Castile was shot by a police officer last July.
According to the Turner, he “had a debate with one of the lead organizers of the Black Lives Matter movement in St. Paul.” He accuses the group of calling him a racist during the debate with BLM leader Brian Allen, saying “I was called a racist, and I was called an Uncle Tom because I said that blacks need to address the killing of each other just like they need to address the killings by police.”
The former member of Black Lives Matter then claimed he overheard Allen discussing with other people that if the police officer, Jeronimo Yanez, who shot Castile wasn’t charged “they would burn down the governor’s mansion.”
“And there was talk about going beyond that and burning down the mansions that are on Summit Avenue with the governor’s mansion,” he added.
The allegations have not been corroborated by any other source.
In an almost 20-minute long video, Turner also accused another organizer, Curtis Avent, of spouting violent plans. “He mentioned burning down city hall, he mentioned burning down the capitol building, he mentioned burning down the police station.”
The alleged potential targets, according to Turner, were picked out because they represented “white privilege.”
Turner also added that these things were said by organizers of the local Black Lives Matter chapter in St. Paul and he wasn’t behind any of the plans. He and the group parted their ways because he allegedly didn’t support the idea of “white privilege.”