New York woman injured during Dakota Access Pipeline protest being cared for in Minneapolis

MINNEAPOLIS (KMSP) - A woman from New York who was participating in a protest over the Dakota Access Pipeline was seriously injured in Morton County, North Dakota and is being cared for at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis.

Sophia Wilansky, 21, of New York was airlifted to HCMC on Monday night from a hospital in Bismarck, North Dakota.  In a press conference, Sophia’s father, Wayne Wilansky, said she told him a police officer threw a grenade that hit her arm. He also said a surgeon took shrapnel out of her arm. 

Wayne told reporters he made a complaint with the FBI on Monday night. He also said, “If I had the possibility of seeing who did this to her it would not be pretty.”

As of 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Sophia was going into surgery and may need as many as 20 surgeries in hope of saving her arm and hand, according to a doctor.

Sophia had been in Morton County, North Dakota for three weeks.

Over $299,000 has been raised for Sophia on a GoFundMe page.