A 27-year-old New Orleans man has pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the shooting of a Black Lives Matter activist known for his leap through police tape to try to seize a Confederate battle flag during a 2017 demonstration over Civil War monuments in South Carolina.
Roosevelt Iglus had been charged with second-degree murder in the death of 32-year-old Muhiyidin (muh-HEE'-ih-din) Moye, better known as Muhiyidin d'Baha, of Charleston, South Carolina. Conviction would have brought an automatic life sentence.
Moye's sister approved the plea agreement, including a 17-year prison sentence, Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro's office said in a news release Monday. Iglus also pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice and possessing a firearm after a felony conviction.
"I am pleased we were able to obtain this defendant's guilty plea and remove any uncertainty over who is responsible for Mr. d'Baha's death," Cannizzaro said in the emailed statement. "This outcome provides the victim's family with the measure of justice they deemed appropriate."
The agreement goes to a judge Tuesday.
Authorities said Iglus tried to knock d'Baha off his bicycle and shot at him as he rode away about 1:25 a.m. Feb. 6, 2018 in New Orleans. He was hit in the thigh and died about 6 hours after being taken to a hospital.
A police report said a bloody trail to the body circled two blocks, and a bloody bicycle lay across the street.
When Iglus was arrested about a year ago, police said a Crimestoppers tip helped them identify him as a suspect.
He was on probation after pleading guilty in 2016 to illegally carrying a weapon and possessing marijuana.
A possible motive for the incident hasn't been discussed in court, but police investigators have speculated that d'Baha might have been mistaken for someone else, district attorney's spokesman Ken Daley said in an email.