Protest leader sentenced to prison

DALLAS — A leader of the group that organized the protest where a sniper killed five law enforcement officers in Dallas was sentenced Friday to prison for probation violations.

Dallas County Judge Gracie Lewis revoked probation for Dominique Alexander and sentenced him to two years in prison with credit for time served. Alexander, the 27-year-old founder of the Next Generation Action Network that organized the July 7 rally to protest recent fatal police shootings of black men, had been on probation for a 2009 felony injury to a child conviction.

The hearing Friday was held two weeks after Dallas County district attorney officials filed a motion to revoke Alexander’s probation for multiple violations. Alexander’s supporters have said those issues had largely already been addressed by the same judge at previous hearings.

They say Alexander is being targeted because of the protest.

Prosecutors alleged Alexander violated his probation by missing meetings with his probation officer, leaving the state without notifying his probation officer, failing to complete community service and classes and falling behind on fines and fees.

Court records showed Lewis sentenced Alexander to 10 days in jail in December for missed meetings and added 30 hours of community service after he admitted to leaving the state.

Prosecutor Douglas Millican said Alexander was being treated the same as any other defendant.

“I feel silly having to say this, but we would be standing here in this position regardless of circumstances with who the defendant was or what he was involved in. I would be having the same conversation with you if he was a pediatric neurosurgeon and had to be in surgery in 10 minutes,” he told the judge.