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US: Protester accused of aiming laser at officers' eyes has felony charges dropped on technicality

A Black Lives Matter protester charged with nine felony counts of aiming a laser pointer in the eyes of police officers, had the charges dropped on January 14 2021 because prosecutors waited 46 days to file charges; the deadline is 45 days.

An additional six counts of aggravated misdemeanor assault, related to the felony counts, can proceed since they were filed on time.

The protester is accused of aiming a laser at the eyes of several University of Iowa police officers during an August 31 2020 protest in Iowa City. The officers reported temporary vision loss, headaches and "other health problems."

To convict on the misdemeanor counts, prosecutors will have to show that the protester intended to inflict serious injury on the officers when he aimed a laser at them.

The 25-year-old protester was named Matthew Bruce at the time of the protests, and said he has since changed his name to Mate Farrakhan Muhammad.

From The Gazette and the Des Moines Register