Last December, Mediaite reported on the arrest of 18-year-old Joshua Williams, a Black Lives Matter protestor who was a very visible contributor to the social rights movement following the events in Ferguson, Missouri. Video released by St. Louis County law enforcement showed Williams attempting arson and burglary of a convenience store on Christmas Eve.

Months earlier, Williams was profiled by MSNBC on the development of the Ferguson protests following the shooting death of Michael Brown. Williams argued that violence would not advance the cause of the protestors. The in-depth profile of the teenager also noted that before the death of Brown that sparked national outrage, Williams had not been actively involved in protests of any kind.

However, after the shooting death of 18-year-old Antonio Martin on December 23, 2014, Williams reportedly torched a QuikTrip convenience store. According to KMOV, surveillance video combined with news cameras aided local law enforcement to identify Williams. Police say he stole an “undisclosed amount of money” from the store.

Late last week, Williams pleaded guilty to trying to burn down the store in Berkeley, Missouri. He was sentenced to eight years for first-degree arson according to KSDK in Missouri. Additionally Williams was charged with three years for second-degree burglary and three months for stealing.

[image via Wikipedia Commons]

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