Troy man sentenced after conviction on six charges in connection with 2020 riot
ALBANY, N.Y. » Albany County District Attorney David Soares announced that Dwight Parker, 40, of Troy, was sentenced to 18 years in State Prison, followed by five years of post-release supervision, and a consecutive term of two to six years in State Prison, for an aggregate minimum sentence of 20 years, and a maximum of 24 years in State Prison, followed by five years of post-release supervision before the Hon. Andra Ackerman in Albany County Court Thursday morning.
Parker was convicted in April of 2022, of six charges including one count of attempted aggravated assault against a police officer as an act of terrorism, one count of attempted aggravated assault against a police officer, one count of first-degree attempted assault, one count of third-degree arson, one count of second-degree criminal mischief, and one count of first-degree riot.
An indictment alleged that on or about May 30, 2020, at approximately 8:59 p.m. in the area of 259 South Pearl Street in the City of Albany, Parker attempted to cause serious physical injury to a police officer with a dangerous instrument, while they were performing their official duties. Specifically, Parker was accused of throwing an incendiary device toward police. Additionally, Parker was accused of damaging a Tractor Trailer in the area of South Pearl Street and Westerlo Street in the City of Albany, at approximately 9:30 p.m, by setting it on fire.
Albany Police Officer Adam Liebler gave a victim impact statement at Thursday’s sentencing. Liebler said: “Mr. Parker, you’re the victim, not me. Not us. You’re the victim of your own doing, clearly incapable of getting out of your own way, and as a result, you’ll now spend the upcoming years in prison, away from your family, who are also a victim of your crime.”
Judge Ackerman said: “You’re on video throwing Molotov cocktails at the police officers. It’s on video… You could have easily hit any of them right in the face. It could have easily killed, or seriously injured any of them. And you didn’t stop at one, you threw another that we were able to see… And then you bragged on Facebook after that night about what you did. You wanted to be that person front and center on violent acts toward the police. And the jury found you guilty of every charge in the indictment, and the evidence supported it. But you didn’t hear the verdict, because you fled before the verdict was read, which shows this court additional lack of remorse, and lack of acceptance of responsibility.”
Assistant District Attorney Collin D’Arcy said: “There is a clear dichotomy and a clear difference that day in the two protests that happened. There was testimony at the trial from officers who actually worked the protest that morning, and who were present for the riots that evening. There was a clear divide in the interactions between civilians and police that night, and it’s important to show that the rioting, and the police officers frankly almost being killed, can’t be the way that you’re voicing your opinion”
Assistant District Attorneys Joseph Brucato, Collin D’Arcy, and Marissa Olsen handled the prosecution of this case.