Aurora man who threw lit firework at police officers gets year in prison

A 21-year-old Aurora man received a one-year prison sentence after pleading guilty last year to throwing a lit firework at police officers in 2020 during civil rights protests in Naperville.

Christian Rea also was ordered to pay nearly $14,000 in restitution to the city of Naperville for the attack that occurred on June 1, 2020, during one of several nights of protests downtown that ultimately turned violent.

According to court records, Rea pleaded guilty to obstructing law enforcement during the commission of civil disorder.

In court, prosecutors said Rea admitted to launching the lit firework at a line of officers that exploded shortly afterward, causing injuries to the officers, including repeated headaches, ringing in the ears and vision loss.

Rea was arrested nearly a month after the attack and faced a maximum of five years in prison.