Dallas

Dallas Protest Leader Sentenced to 2 Years in Prison

The leader of a North Texas-based protest group has been sentenced to two years in prison for violating the terms of his probation.

Prosecutors said 27-year-old Dominique Alexander, the founder of The Next Generation Action Network, violated his probation in a 2009 felony case by missing meetings with his probation officer.

A Dallas County judge revoked Alexander's probation and sentenced him Friday to two years in prison, a sentence members of the group said was political noting that no new charges had been filed.

Prosecutors said Alexander is being treated fairly and his attorney said his client doesn't plan to appeal the sentence. Alexander will be eligible for parole in six months, if not sooner.

Alexander's supporters have said those issues had largely already been addressed by the same judge at previous hearings. They say he is being targeted because of the protest, but the shooter Micah Johnson was not affiliated with their group.

"We will continue to push for police reform. This is the very reason we need to push for police reform. This system is corrupt," said Kim Cole, an attorney for Alexander and for the network. "There were five applications (for revocation) filed in 11 days and there were no new offenses committed. Explain that."

The protest group, according to their Facebook page, exists "to cultivate young leaders driven towards the eradication of social injustice through social, educational, civil and community reform."

Alexander and The Next Generation Action Network have organized a number of peaceful protests in North Texas, including demanding the resignation of McKinney police officer Eric Casebolt, a protest of the conditions of the Dallas Independent School District's South Oak Cliff High School and the July 7 protest in downtown Dallas of recent fatal shootings nationwide of black men by police.

The latter event was the scene of a mass shooting, however, the left five police officers dead and another eight injured; the gunman was not affiliated with the protest group.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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