Nearly A Dozen People Are Now Facing Criminal Charges In Connection with Protests Following a 2021 Fatal Forklift Incident

10/29/2022 - Written by SJ

Almost a year and a half after protests erupted over the death of 19-year-old Menards employee James Stanback, nearly a dozen people are now facing criminal charges.

On July 22, 2021, Stanback, who’d graduated from Patrick Henry High School earlier that year, was working a shift at the Menards in Golden Valley when he was crushed to death by a pallet of lumber while operating a forklift. 

According to the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office, Stanback’s cause of death was "mechanical asphyxia due to a forklift mishap."

The fatal incident occurred at 10 am, roughly 4 hours after the home improvement store opened for the day and Menards management kept the business open after Stanback’s body was found. A decision which, understandably upset the customers who were present during the tragedy and Stanback’s family members, who quickly showed up at the scene. 

A crowd began blocking the entrance of the popular Midwest chain store, which is headquartered in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Bystanders demanded that the Menards close for the day out of respect for Stanback, his family, and his colleagues. Grief-stricken family members and protesters were asked to leave but refused to do so. Golden Valley police were eventually called to the scene.

In a complaint, demonstrators were accused of “harassing customers,” damaging store property, and assaulting workers, including one employee who alleged they were concussed after an altercation with protesters. 

The protest continued off and on for nearly a week. During this time, police were consistently called to remove and arrest protesters from the store. Upwards of 11 people, several of whom were related to the victim, have since been charged in connection with the protests. Charges reportedly include third-degree rioting, fifth-degree assault, disorderly conduct, and criminal damage to property, among others. 

According to Bring Me The News, at least one of the demonstrators, a journalist named Nyleve Eiram, was only just charged in connection to the protests earlier this month. The news outlet quoted Eiram as stating, "I was never detained, I was never given any type of citations, I was never officially charged with anything till October 4th 2022, I never shoved my way into the store in the July 23, 2022, evening protest. I was physically assaulted by a Sargent who never identified herself. These charges came after I filed an IA investigation last year in July between July 24–28. I am a member of a media as an independent journalist. I was filming the protest to document it as, I’ve done at other protest."

The Menards location also released a statement regarding Stanback’s death which read, "We are a small family here at Golden Valley and we are all in shock. Our thoughts and prayers are with our Teammate and his family." Family members, especially those facing criminal charges as a result of their attempt to remember Stanback, likely wonder where those “thoughts and prayers” were when the store refused to close following the young man’s death. 

To become a certified OSHA-compliant forklift operator in Minnesota, a training course and written test are required, both of which can be completed in under 4 hours. 

The Golden Valley Menards where Stanback worked hadn’t received an OSHA inspection in the five years leading up to his death. However, following the fatal incident, the Minnesota Occupational Safety and Health Administration did issue the location a citation in early 2022, deeming the store was in violation of storage regulations. One of the regulations outlined, "Storage of material shall not create a hazard. Bags, containers, bundles, etc., stored in tiers shall be stacked, blocked, interlocked and limited in height so that they are stable and secure against sliding or collapse." The citation, which came with a $25,000 fine, was contested by Menards. 

Family members and demonstrators still hope to see Menards held accountable for the way Stanback’s death was handled by the company.