Posted on May 28, 2021

Felony Protest-Related Charges Dropped Against Activist Indira Sheumaker

Andrea May Sahouri, Des Moines Register, May 22, 2021

Protest-related felony charges have been dropped against local activist Indira Sheumaker, who pleaded guilty to a lesser offense stemming from a 2020 demonstration.

On Thursday, Sheumaker, 26, accepted an agreement with the state, pleading guilty to a charge of aggravated misdemeanor assault on a police officer, according to court documents. All other charges have been dropped.

The state plans to recommend Sheumaker receives deferred judgment, meaning the charge can be expunged from her record after a probational period, court documents show.

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Police allege Sheumaker got on Des Moines police officer Jeff George’s back and put him in a chokehold, resulting in felony charges of alleged assault on a police officer and interference with official acts causing serious injury. {snip}

Sheumaker said her experience hasn’t scared her away from activism.

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She is running for City Council as the Ward 1 member, and says she wants to “move away from a public safety system of criminalization and incarceration” to restorative and transformative justice if elected.

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