Idaho teen will serve jail time for shooting gun at protest

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — An 18-year-old who fired a gun near a Boise protest after the police killing of George Floyd will spend four days in jail.

Michael Daniel Wallace pleaded guilty Wednesday to a misdemeanor count of discharging a firearm in city limits.

Ada County Magistrate Judge Kira Dale gave Wallace a 10 day sentence out of a potential 180-day jail term, the Idaho Statesman reported. The judge gave Wallace credit for two days he already served. Wallace may complete half of the remaining eight days by doing 32 hours of community service.

Wallace was taken into custody on June 1 after a rifle he was holding fired into the ground. Police said they believe the gun was discharged unintentionally. No injuries were reported as a result of his actions. Wallace was booked into the Ada County Jail hours later and released the following morning.

Wallace was seen pacing around a demonstration at the Idaho Capitol against racial injustice after Floyd was killed. Floyd, a Black man, died May 25 after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee on Floyd’s neck while he was handcuffed and lying on the ground.

Wallace will also be placed on unsupervised probation for one year, is required to take a state-approved gun safety course and will pay a fine of $657.50.