Bail Reduced for Black Lives Matter Activist Charged with Making Terrorist Threats

Bail was reportedly reduced Wednesday evening for an activist arrested by Pasadena police earlier in the week – just hours before she was slated to attend a City Council meeting and share information sealed by an appellate court’s gag order.

Jasmine Richards, 28, was reportedly arrested Monday and initially charged  with “failure to appear” in court. That single charge was later amended to multiples charges of making terrorist threats, trespassing, petty theft, assault and evading arrest.

A Pasadena court reportedly reduced the bail amount from $90,000 to $36,000 Jasmine Richards, who remains in jail.

Richards is a Black Lives Matter activist whose participation in a March 24 demonstration resulted in the charges.  That demonstration marked the anniversary of the death of Kendrec McDade, who was shot and killed by Pasadena police three years ago in Northwest Pasadena. McDade’s mother, Anya Slaughter, also attended the demonstration.

Organizers claim that Richards’ arrest was politically motivated.

“As an active member of Black Lives Matter – Pasadena, Jasmine Richards’ activism against police brutality has made her a highly visible target for police harassment,” said Melina Abdullah, an organizer for Black Lives Matter. “These current charges are an attempt by law enforcement officials to mis-characterize Jasmine and undermine her work as a galvanizing force in the Black community of Pasadena.”

The “ALL OUT for Kendrec McDade” demonstration was organized by Richards and comes against the backdrop of the McDade shooting anniversary and intensifying court proceedings in a lawsuit filed by Pasadena police which attempts to suppress the contents of an official report detailing the specifics of the McDade shooting.