Standing Rock Activist Sentenced to 57 Months in Prison

Red Fawn Fallis was sentenced to four years and nine months in prison on Wednesday for allegedly shooting at officers during a Standing Rock protest against the Dakota Access oil pipeline, according to The Guardian. The 39-year-old was accused of resisting arrest during an October 2016 demonstration and claims she does not remember firing the gun. In January, Fallis pleaded guilty to “civil disorder and illegal possession of a gun by a convicted felon.” During her sentencing hearing, a psychologist for the defense testified that Fallis suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, which could explain why she does not remember firing the weapon. The Ogala Sioux tribe member was convicted of being an accessory to a crime in 2003. Fallis and over 700 others were arrested during the peak of the Standing Rock protests. The activists wanted to call attention to the environmental impact of the oil pipeline and its proximity to a Sioux reservation. The pipeline has been running for a year.