Jury convicts man of killing Minneapolis activist Tyrone Williams

A friend who was charged in the fatal shooting of Minneapolis community activist Tyrone Williams has been found guilty.

Sid B. Strickland-Green, 28, of Minneapolis, was convicted Tuesday of unintentional second-degree murder in connection with killing of 33-year-old Williams on April 3 in north Minneapolis.

Jurors returned the guilty verdict after deliberating for about 11 hours over two days. They acquitted Strickland-Green on the more serious count of intentional second-degree murder.

"All murders are a tragedy, but the death of Mr. Williams is particularly painful," said Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman. "He was a good father, having just read to his children and heading to his job. But he had invested some of his free time to making his community a better place."

Williams, a father of four, helped coordinate the 18-day occupation of Minneapolis' Fourth Precinct police station following the 2015 police shooting of Jamar Clark, and he was also the brother of former City Council candidate and NAACP activist Raeisha Williams.

At the time of the shooting, Mayor Jacob Frey praised Williams' activism, saying that his death would force the city to "confront our past in order to move toward a better future for all."

In his closing argument, Senior Hennepin County Attorney Dan Allard said the dispute between Williams and Strickland-Green began at the Red Dragon Restaurant on Lyndale Avenue S. several days before the shooting. Williams was eating with his girlfriend and several others at the restaurant. Strickland-Green was with them, but something happened to him in the parking lot.

Late in the afternoon of April 3, Strickland-Green was in his parked car. A friend of both Williams and Strickland-Green drove by, stopped and told Strickland-Green to follow him a couple of blocks away to an area near 8th and Elwood avenues N.

The two men were talking when Williams came out of his mother's house and greeted them. Strickland-Green started criticizing Williams for not standing up for him at the restaurant.

The mutual friend drove away and Strickland-Green went to his car, got a gun and shot Williams, Allard said.

Prosecutors said they will seek the maximum sentence allowed under state guidelines during sentencing on Feb. 11. That means Strickland-Green could receive a term of 24 or more years. He has convictions in Minnesota for second-degree assault, making terroristic threats, check forgery and drug possession.