Man who toppled Columbus statue in St. Paul will avoid jail

ST. PAUL, Minn. – An activist who knocked over a Christopher Columbus statue on state Capitol grounds during a rally over the death of George Floyd will not serve jail time.

A plea agreement finalized Monday between prosecutors and defense attorney states that Mike Forcia must perform 100 hours of community service, write a letter acknowledging the damage he caused and remain law abiding while on probation for the next year.

The 57-year-old Forcia, a  member of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and Twin Cities American Indian Movement activist, was charged with criminal damage to property.