Minneapolis ‘Spider-Man’ pleads not guilty to assault charges

William Nicholas Love claims he acted in self-defense when he jumped onto a pickup truck that was driving toward protesters.MINNEAPOLIS (CN) — A 33-year-old man dubbed the “Minneapolis Spider-Man” pleaded not guilty Friday to misdemeanor assault charges stemming from a viral altercation with far-right activist Jake Lang.Donning a Spider-Man costume, William Nicholas Love addressed a group of 100 supporters, who chanted “drop the charges" outside the Hennepin County Public Safety Facility where he entered his plea.“Black, white, Mexican, whatever you are, we are in this together,” said Love, of Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota. He was flanked by two people dressed as Miles Morales and Spider-Gwen, two other characters from the “Spider-Man” universe.Many of the supporters also wore Spider-Man suits and supportive pins. They held up signs with messages like “We need more superheroes” and “Spider-Man protects people.”Love’s case stems from an Aug. 22 confrontation outside Minneapolis City Hall, when multiple vehicles associated with Lang drove onto a sidewalk toward a crowd of people protesting him.Lang was in Minneapolis to hold a rally for Shiloh Hendrix, a white Rochester woman who gained notoriety and was ultimately charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct following a racist viral incident.A protester later identified as Love climbed onto the back of a pickup truck occupied by Lang. Dressed as the famous web-head, he threw punches and tried to take a sign, video of the encountered showed.Both sides deployed mace during the brawl. Minneapolis police arrested a total of 11 people on riot charges, including Lang and others in his group. Love faces a fifth-degree misdemeanor assault charge for his actions.Love’s defense attorney, Jack Rice, told Courthouse News that his client acted purely in self-defense and in defense of others.“When you have two trucks driving onto a curb toward a crowd of people, that is a threat in itself. That’s an assault in itself,” Rice said. “Frankly, anyone who’s rolling a truck towards people is guilty of a fifth-degree assault.”Rice maintains that responsibility for the incident rests entirely with Lang’s group.“Those were the people who should’ve been charged in this case, and yet we are not seeing any charges at this point," Rice said. “So, we have a lot of questions.”Lang — a controversial activist who served four years for his role in the Capitol riots before being pardoned by President Donald Trump — was released from custody last week after the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office announced it would not pursue felony charges against him. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said Lang’s actions were “despicable and disgusting” and that the lack of felony charges did not “in any way” condone his conduct.“This is a legal decision based on applicable law," Moriarty said in a statement. “We simply cannot prove the requisite intent in light of the evidence.” She said the city attorney’s office may still pursue misdemeanor charges against him.The Minneapolis community has been largely supportive of Love, with many viewing him as a community protector.On platforms like Reddit and Facebook, Minneapolitans have dubbed him a “hero of the city." Still, some critics have condemned his use of physical violence.Following his arrest and unmasking, multiple online crowdfunding campaigns popped up to cover his legal defense. Several GoFundMe pages have together raised more than $160,000.One fundraising page reportedly run by Love’s fiancée includes a statement from Love regarding his actions that day.“I jumped onto the moving truck because I felt I had to do whatever I could to protect the people around me," he wrote, explaining he was raising funds to help cover medical bills. “I was pushed off, punched in the face and trampled by police who, in that moment, protected the real threat instead of the community.”Love’s next hearing is a pretrial conference on Nov. 19. Rice said he was thrilled that so many community members had come out to support him.Referencing Lang’s group, he said: “We had people come out to this city, not for the first time, with the intent to do what they did. We saw them rolling on a public sidewalk.” He added: “To have community members come out and say, ‘No, we will not accept this in Minnesota’ — it’s gratifying.”Categories / Courts, CriminalSubscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads