By: Yuritza Arroyo
Federal authorities announced that a Mercer County man was sentenced today to 27 months in prison for attempting to interfere with law enforcement officers during a civil disorder when he tried to set fire to a police vehicle during a riot in Trenton.
According to Federal officials, Kadeem A. Dockery, 31, of Trenton, previously pleaded guilty by videoconference to an information charging him with one count of attempting to obstruct, impede, or interfere with law enforcement officers during a civil disorder affecting commerce.
Court documents state on May 31, 2020, large-scale protests were held throughout the United States, including in Trenton, in response to the death of George Floyd. Although the May 31st protest in Trenton was peaceful earlier in the day, violence erupted later.
According to court documents, a group of individuals proceeded down East State Street in downtown Trenton and began to riot, smashing storefronts, looting stores, and attacking multiple marked Trenton Police Department vehicles parked on the 100 Block of East State Street.
A city of Trenton street camera and other video footage taken by an individual on the street recorded Dockery lighting an explosive device and throwing it through the open front driver’s side window of a Trenton Police Department vehicle, attempting to set the police vehicle on fire.
Authorities say the footage captured the sound of an explosion and smoke emanating from the police vehicle.
Law enforcement later identified Dockery by analyzing street cameras and other video footage. Dockery was arrested on Aug. 5, 2020.
In addition to the prison term, Dockery was sentenced to three years of supervised release.
Dockery is the last of four individuals sentenced in connection with the protest in Trenton.
Earlja J. Dudley was sentenced in March of 2022 to 30 months in prison; Killian F Melecio was convicted in June of 2021 to 28 months in jail; and Justin D. Spry was sentenced in September 2021 to 24 months in prison.