Man Sentenced In Albany Riots Brick Throwing Incident

A Delmar man has been sentenced for his role in the Albany riots in May 2020 where a police officer was injured and a police vehicle was damaged.

Shortly after the murder of George Floyd, protests and riots erupted all over the world, including here in Albany. On May 30 around 8:00 p.m. rioters attacked the Albany Police Department’s Arch Street station.

During the riot a police vehicle was damaged and an Albany Police Officer sustained substantial injuries. The officer suffered a bulging disc in his neck, shoulder pain, and a concussion.

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In early June, 21-year old James Vail of Delmar was arrested, charged and today he was sentenced for damaging a police car and injuring a police officer.

Vail initially pleaded not guilty in August of 2020 to charges of third-degree Criminal Mischief, first-degree Attempted Assault, two counts of second-degree assault, and first-degree Rioting.

In December 2020, Albany County District Attorney David Soares announced that the suspect changed his mind and pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree assault which is a Felony. He admitted to throwing the brick that caused damage to a police cruiser.

According to News10, today Mr. Vail appeared in court for his sentencing. He was sentenced to four years in state prison. He is still subjected to three years of supervised probation after he is released from prison.

There were a lot of people peacefully protesting last year, but there were also many people who were rioting and wreaking havoc on the city of Albany. I’m sure there will be more people sentenced in the upcoming days.

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