Rochester, MN (KROC-AM) - A Las Vegas man won’t have to go to prison for his involvement in a rolling gun battle in northwest Rochester last year.

20-year-old Thaddeus Merritt was convicted of second-degree assault last month and was sentenced yesterday to 7-years on probation. He was given a stayed 57-month prison term that he could be required to serve if he fails to meet the terms of his probation, which includes an anger management evaluation.

Merritt was among the 5 people charged in connection with a series of shootings in August of last year that culminated in an exchange of gunfire between the occupants of two vehicles as they traveled through the city’s Lincolnshire neighborhood. He was detained the evening of the shooting near Lincolnshire Park after Rochester Police located one of the vehicles parked at the site. Officials indicated they did not have enough evidence to arrest him at that time but he and another suspect in the case were arrested the following day when they were tricked into picking up the blue Audi at the police impound lot. Three handguns were found in the vehicle.

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