Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein is expected to face charges of either trespassing or vandalism in connection to a protest held Tuesday at a Dakota Access Pipeline work site.
Stein was among an estimated 150 to 200 other protesters at the time of the incident. Law enforcement officers arrived on site after protesters began to vandalize equipment and attach themselves to bulldozers, the Bismarck Tribune reported.
Though no arrests were made as a result of Tuesday’s actions, [Morton County Sheriff Kyle] Kirchmeier said the sheriff's department is "working up the information through the state’s attorney’s office to pursue charges [against Stein]." One possible charge could be for trespassing and another for vandalism, though it’s not yet known whether these would be felony or misdemeanor charges.
According to the Morton County Sheriff’s Department, the protest took place at around 10:30 a.m., and protesters gathered at a construction area at County Road 35 and Highway 6, 2 miles east of Highway 1806.
"The incident is actually still ongoing as we speak," Kirchmeier said Tuesday afternoon. "Since we did not respond immediately to that location because of the situation ... we have information that they can just release themselves and it’s no big deal."
The Morton County Sheriff Department stated that no arrests or charges have been filed yet because they are still investigating the incident. Stein is currently polling in the low single digits in general election polls.