Chicago-area man gets year in prison for throwing explosive

CHICAGO (AP) - A suburban Chicago man who admitted throwing an explosive at police during a violent demonstration in June 2020 was sentenced Wednesday to one year in federal prison.

Christian Rea, 21, of Aurora, pleaded guilty last year to obstructing law enforcement when he threw a lit incendiary device at a line of uniformed police officers, injuring several of them, the Chicago Tribune reported.

U.S. District Judge Thomas Durkin also ordered Rea to pay $13,585 in restitution to the city of Naperville.

Officers injured by the device said they suffered from repeated headaches, ringing in the ears and vision loss, prosecutors said.

At the time of the June 1, 2020, disturbance following a George Floyd-related protest, officials said the explosion occurred at the outset of the violence. More than 20 restaurants, stores and other buildings had windows broken and some were broken into and looted. At least one restaurant was damaged by incendiary devices, and one person stabbed while trying to stop vandalism from occurring.

Rea was among about a dozen people who were arrested. Two burglaries occurred at the same time in other parts of town and may have been orchestrated to take place while police were centered downtown, officials said.