MINNEAPOLIS Hennepin County prosecutors have declined to file felony charges against far-right activist Jake Lang following his high-profile arrest during a Minneapolis rally, saying the available evidence did not provide a path to proving the case beyond a reasonable doubt.
Lang, whose legal name is Edward Jacob Lang, was arrested Saturday after police said two vehicles connected to his group drove onto a sidewalk near Minneapolis City Hall and toward a crowd of counterprotesters. The incident led to multiple arrests and allegations of riot, assault and disorderly conduct.
In announcing the decision, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said prosecutors reviewed extensive evidence showing communication and logistical coordination between the Minneapolis Police Department and Lang’s security detail.
That evidence, Moriarty said, made it impossible to prove the intent required for felony charges beyond a reasonable doubt. The decision does not amount to a finding that Lang’s conduct was appropriate or harmless. Moriarty called his actions during the rally “despicable and disgusting,” while emphasizing that prosecutors must meet the legal burden of proof before bringing a felony case.
The county attorney’s decision does not prevent Minneapolis city prosecutors from considering misdemeanor or gross-misdemeanor charges arising from the incident. Lang also remains connected to other pending legal matters, including a felony vandalism case in neighboring St. Paul.
Meanwhile, a counterprotester who appeared at the rally wearing a Spider-Man costume has been charged with misdemeanor fifth-degree assault.
Nicholas William Love II, 33, was charged after video and photographs from the scene showed him climbing onto the pickup truck occupied by Lang and striking him during the confrontation. Love is accused, not convicted, and remains entitled to the presumption of innocence.
The contrasting legal outcomes have drawn attention to the chaotic confrontation outside City Hall, where police, Lang’s group and counterprotesters all became involved in a rapidly escalating clash. Prosecutors say their decision on Lang was based on what they could legally prove, not an endorsement of the rally or its conduct.
