Two men arraigned for alleged violence during riots
ALBANY, N.Y. » Albany County District Attorney David Soares announced that Dwight Parker, 39, of Troy, and Ah-Juan Boyd, 25, of Albany, were each arraigned before the Honorable William A. Carter in Albany County Court for their respective roles in violent riots in the City of Albany.
Parker was arraigned on one count of felony attempted aggravated assault upon a police officer as a crime of terrorism, one count of felony first- degree attempted assault, one count of felony thirddegree arson, one count of felony first- degree riot, and one count of felony second- degree criminal mischief.
On the evening of May 30, 2020, a Molotov cocktail incendiary device was thrown at four police officers on horseback during a riot that was taking place in the area of South Pearl and Arch Streets in the City of Albany.
As a result, the incendiary device exploded directly at the feet of four police officers who were on horseback. An Albany County grand jury returned an indictment alleging that Parker intentionally attempted to cause serious physical injury to the officers by his alleged actions in lighting and throwing the device.
The indictment also alleges that Parker allegedly set fire to a tractor-trailer at South Pearl and Westerlo Streets in the City of Albany that same evening while acting in concert with Boyd.
Parker pleaded not guilty and remains in custody.
Parker’s alleged co-defendants Imari Allen and Shalene Allen were each previously arrested and charged with one count of felony first-degree of riot and their cases remain open and pending.
The grand jury also returned charges against Boyd for one count of felony third- degree arson, one count of felony third- degree attempted arson, and one count of felony second- degree criminal mischief.
In addition to the count of arson for the tractor-trailer fire, the grand jury also found that on June 1, 2020, at approximately 9:30 p.m., Boyd was alleged to have attempted to set a fire to Albany Police Unit Vehicle 112 while it was parked in the area of First Street and Henry Johnson Boulevard.
Boyd pleaded not guilty and remains released on his own recognizance.
No new appearance dates have been scheduled at this time for either charged party.
“Many well-intentioned people convened in the City of Albany to voice their anger and participate in peaceful demonstrations in the wake of George Floyd’s death. Unfortunately, several individuals made the decision to engage in violent and destructive behavior, which sadly undermined the sentiment of the peaceful gatherings earlier in the day. In an effort to hold those violent offenders accountable, we are asking the public to please reach out to our office with any information that would aid in our investigation,” Soares stated.
If you are able to provide additional video or specific information about the parties mentioned above, you’re encouraged to contact the District Attorney’s office at (518) 487-5460 and ask to speak with an investigator.