A Portland man has been charged with arson for allegedly lighting a dumpster on fire during a June riot, the Justice Department announced Wednesday.
Gavaughn Gaquez Streeter-Hillerich, 22, attended a June 26 riot near the Portland Police Bureau’s North Precinct and was seen on video lighting a large dumpster on fire. The dumpster was positioned near plywood that was on the windows of the police building to prevent break-ins. 19 people were inside the building when the fire was started, according to a Justice Department’s press release. (RELATED: Alleged Portland Rioter Charged With Shining Laser Capable Of Burning Through Cardboard At Officer’s Eyes)
A Portland man has been charged with arson after pushing a burning dumpster against the @PortlandPolice North Precinct building on June 26, 2020. Read more: https://t.co/nAYptMsEGU pic.twitter.com/tEKdyZydQj
— U.S. Attorney Oregon (@USAO_OR) September 16, 2020
“The fire caused damage to the building and, were it allowed to spread, would have threatened the safety of 15 police personnel and four individuals in custody inside the building,” the Justice Department said. “Video evidence of the fire submitted by a private citizen led investigators to identify Streeter-Hillerich and bring charges in this case.”
Streeter-Hillerich was charged with 2 counts of using fire to maliciously damage and attempt to damage the Portland Police Bureau’s North Precinct and several other private businesses. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum of 5 years in prison and could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison.
The U.S. Marshals Service arrested Streeter-Hillerich Wednesday in Vancouver, Washington. He appeared in court that same day and was released pending further proceedings.