Shannon Brandt, the North Dakota man who ran down and killed a teenager named Cayler Ellingson for being a Republican, has been sentenced to just five years in prison.
Brandt was allowed to plea to the charge of manslaughter, and was sentenced to just five years in prison, with three years of probation.
If this had been someone who ran over a Democrat, it would have been a different story.
Meanwhile, Jan 6 Defendants are getting longer sentences than a man who had killed someone for being Republican.
Valley News Live reports:
A Glenfield, North Dakota, man is sentenced to five years in prison for his involvement in the death of an 18-year-old last September.
A judge handed down the sentence for Shannon Brandt on Friday, Sept 8. Brandt was given credit for 356 already served behind bars. His five-year sentence will be followed by three years of supervised probation.
Brandt’s lawyer, Mark Friese, told Valley News Live following the sentencing, “Shannon is pleased that the matter is concluded and hopes those affected can begin to heal.”
Brandt, 42, pleaded guilty to manslaughter in May 2023 for running over 18-year-old Cayler Ellingson after a street dance in McHenry, North Dakota in September 2022.
Court documents say Brandt called 911 and said he hit Ellingson because he was being threatened. Documents say Brandt told police the 18-year-old was part of a republican extremist group and that he was afraid they were coming to get him.
In an email to The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead, Brandt’s attorney said his client was taking accountability for his actions.
“Shannon has never denied responsibility for his part in this tragic accident,” Brandt’s attorney, Mark Friese, reportedly wrote in an email to the newspaper.
“A plea of guilty permits him to accept responsibility while limiting the stress and emotional toll for all involved.”
The man who killed a teenager for being Republican gets sentenced for just five years is another example of a two-tiered justice system.
