Listen: Sophia Wilansky's Case Before Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals

Sophia Wilansky. Nov. 21, 2016

Listen: Today Federal Appeals Court Hears the Excessive Force by Law Enforcement at Standing Rock

By Brenda Norrell, Censored News, Dec. 16, 202

ST. PAUL, Minnesota -- The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals heard the case of Sophia Wilansky today in St. Paul, Minnesota. Wilansky's left arm was blown apart by an explosive fired by law enforcement at Backwater Bridge at Standing Rock on the night of Nov. 20, 2016. The MacArthur Justice Center filed the civil rights lawsuit, which names the law enforcement who fired at Wilansky, and those who gave the orders. 

Wilansky's attorney argued today whether she was fired on while obeying orders and dispersing. The argument focused on whether she was struck when she stopped to pick up a piece of plywood as a shield, or whether she was fired on before she stopped. Wilansky's attorney said law enforcement rapid-fired on her while she was running away. She was struck by a flash bang type explosive fired from a shotgun. Her attorney said law enforcement laughed at her after she was struck.

Sophia Wilansky's Case at Federal Appeals Court in St. Paul, Minnesota

Marcus Mitchell, Dine'/Navajo. Sophia Wilansky. Censored News.

Today: Sophia Wilansky's Case at Federal Appeals Court in St. Paul, Minnesota

The Back Story at Backwater Bridge: The Facts that the Pipeline and Courts Don't Want You to Know

By Brenda Norrell, Censored News, Dec. 10, 2025

Update: Audio and transcripts of Sophia Wilansky's case heard at federal appeals court, Dec. 16, 2025

https://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2025/12/listen-sophia-wilanskys-case-before.html

The cases of Marcus Mitchell, Dine'/Navajo, and Sophia Wilansky, both critically injured at Backwater Bridge in Standing Rock, will be heard before the federal Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Paul, Minnesota in December.

Failed Justice in North Dakota Courts: Who Blew Apart Sophia Wilansky's Arm at Standing Rock?

“At 21-years old, I lost the use of my arm because a police officer shot me from a gun turret with an exploding grenade at a protest. My life will never be the same, but I will also not be scared away from fighting for what is right." -- Sophia Wilansky.

Failed Justice in North Dakota Courts: Who Blew Apart Sophia Wilansky's Arm at Standing Rock?

By Brenda Norrell, Censored News, Jan. 6, 2025

Who blew apart Sophia Wilansky's arm and what weapon did they use? The details of the horrific injury to Sophia's arm are described in the federal court case, which names the officers who fired the weapons at Sophia at Backwater Bridge at Standing Rock during the freezing predawn hours of November 21, 2016.

FBI Destroyed Evidence -- Sophia's Arm Blown Apart at Backwater Bridge -- Court Document

Sophia Wilansky after being struck by police projectile
Graphic image of shattered arm here.

(Above and below) Water Protectors at Backwater Bridge

FBI Destroyed Evidence after Sophia Wilansky's Arm was Blown Apart at Backwater Bridge -- Federal Lawsuit Filed in Minneapolis

By Brenda Norrell
Censored News

MINNEAPOLIS -- The FBI has destroyed vital evidence which would have revealed what munition blew apart the arm of Sophia Wilansky, 21, when she stood at Standing Rock in North Dakota, and peacefully defended the Missouri River from Dakota Access Pipeline.
It was just before dawn on November, 21, 2016 when Sophia's arm was blown to pieces.
More than a year has passed since Sophia began a series of traumatic surgeries to save her arm. A piece of shrapnel was found in her shattered arm.
The FBI has refused to return the evidence it took from her hospital room in Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis, where she was transferred from Bismarck, for its trauma center.
In Minneapolis, the FBI took clothing that Sophia was wearing when she was struck, and the shrapnel found in her arm that was blown to pieces.
According to the government's own documents, these items of evidence were destroyed during the FBI's testing.
The FBI has refused to return the evidence to Sophia, allow a chemical analysis of it, or respond to the family's requests for the evidence.
A federal lawsuit has been filed in Minneapolis for the return of Sophia's property.
The federal lawsuit, filed in federal court in Minnesota on February 2, 2018, also states that a grand jury was convened in the investigation, and the person who transported Sophia to the hospital was subpoenaed.
However, the government then halted the grand jury. No one has been charged, despite a year long investigation.
The complaint states:

The FBI analyzed these items more than a year ago, and it took only two weeks for the analysis. The testing "degraded and permanently altered" the evidence:

When the FBI showed up at Sophia's hospital room, without a warrant, Sophia's father Wayne Wilansky acted in good faith. Wayne agreed to voluntarily allow the FBI to take the items. The FBI agreed in writing to return those items in a timely manner:

The court document also describes the array of so-called no-lethal weapons fired into the bodies of water protectors, as they stood to protect the drinking water of millions from the oil pipeline.
Pepper spray, sponge bullets, CS (tear gas) grenades, bean bags, stinger ball grenades and flash sound devices (concussion grenades) were fired into water protectors.
Numerous unarmed water protectors were seriously injured when they were hit by these projectiles fired by militarized police.
The court document states:

The court complaint also names those who are responsible, including the federal agencies involved, which includes Homeland Security, and the Joint Terrorism Task Force.

Since the FBI has failed to respond and return the evidence, the family is asking the court to order that the evidence be returned, or make the items available to Sophia's chemist for analysis.

Both the U.S. Attorney's Office and FBI are named in the complaint. The case number is posted below:

Also see:
Dineh Marcus Mitchell 'Morton County shot out my eye at Standing Rock'
https://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2018/01/dineh-marcus-mitchell-morton-county.html


Article copyright Brenda Norrell, Censored News