Man who threw brick at officer during Albany riot sentenced

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) - A man who threw a brick at a police officer's head during a May 2020 riot in Albany has been sentenced to four years in state prison. James Vail, 22, had previously pled guilty to a charge of second degree assault.

Following the incident, the officer was left with a concussion, shoulder pain, and a bulging disc in his neck requiring treatment at a local hospital.

The 22-year-old also damaged a marked Albany Police Department vehicle during the riot, which took place outside Albany Police's Arch Street station on May 30, 2020. The riot was part of the wider unrest that spread across the United States last year, following the death of George Floyd on memorial day.

He initially entered a not guilty plea, before finally accepting the assault charge in December. Vail is also subject to three years of supervised release following his prison sentence.