A Temple University student has turned himself in on federal charges in connection with a protest at a St. Paul, Minnesota church that also involved journalist Don Lemon, authorities said this week.
Jerome Richardson, a 21-year-old senior at the university, was taken into federal custody Monday in Philadelphia in connection with the January 18 demonstration at Cities Church, according to officials and court records. He was later released pending further proceedings.
Richardson is one of several people indicted in the case, which also includes Lemon and others, on charges alleging they conspired to interfere with the free exercise of religion and unlawfully disrupt the church service during an anti-immigration protest.
In public statements made before his arrest, Richardson acknowledged helping Lemon with logistics and connecting him with local contacts ahead of the protest, saying he supported the reporting and demonstration.
“Don was reporting on the situation on the ground during the occupation by DHS and ICE and Border Patrol agents. At that time, I was proud to support his work in exposing the everyday injustices that resulted from the agenda. As a consequence of this support, I’m now being targeted by Trump and the federal administration,” Richardson said in the video, per CBS News.
“This is the price of being unapologetic about humanity and love of Christ,” he continued, noting he supported the protesters, highlighting “the hypocrisy of how Pastor David Easterwood could simultaneously be a pastor at the church and the local leader of ICE operations.”
“What people are experiencing goes against human and civil rights as well as the teachings of Jesus, who indeed flipped over tables,” Richardson said in the video.
Temple University released a statement about Richardson’s charges that said in part:
We understand that the circumstances surrounding this matter are developing. Out of respect for the privacy of the student and the ongoing legal process, the University will not comment on the specifics.
As we’ve shared previously, we deeply value the First Amendment, including the rights of free speech, a free press and the freedom to exercise religion. We encourage and educate our students to engage thoughtfully and lawfully to advocate for their beliefs and values, raise awareness and contribute to constructive dialogue.
Lemon, who was arrested previously by federal agents in connection with the incident, has said he was present in a reporting capacity and has defended his actions, citing First Amendment protections.
Federal prosecutors allege that the protest — which interrupted a worship service at the church — involved actions intended to intimidate or impede congregants’ religious exercise, triggering the use of federal civil rights statutes in the indictment.
“You have the right to worship freely and safely … and if you violate that sacred right, we are coming after you,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a video posted on social media.
The case remains pending, and court appearances for the defendants have been scheduled as the legal process continues.
Lemon and three other defendants arrested in connection with the protest, which took place inside a St. Paul church were released last week following initial court appearances. Lemon said he plans to fight the charges after a federal grand jury indicted him and several other activists in U.S. District Court in Minnesota.
The defendants are accused of conspiring to deprive church congregants of their rights and interfering with religious freedom inside a house of worship, reviving a case that was rejected last week by a magistrate judge, The New York Times reported.
The indictment names nine defendants, including seven protesters, Lemon, and another journalist. Seven of those charged have appeared in court so far, and four were released Friday.
