Two men were charged with allegedly setting a police car on fire during protests and riots that erupted in Philadelphia days after George Floyd’s death, the Justice Department announced Thursday.
Nearly one year after the incident, 25-year-old Ayoub Tabri of Arlington, Virginia and 26-year-old Lester Fulton Smith of Philadelphia were each charged with two counts of arson and one count of obstruction of law enforcement in connection with the arson of a state police SUV, according to the statement.
Lester Smith of Philadelphia and Ayoub Tabri of Virginia have been charged with the arson of a @PAStatePolice vehicle during last May’s civil unrest in #Philly. SAC Driscoll’s statement below, and full details via @USAO_EDPA at https://t.co/Ibsr9k6mc3 pic.twitter.com/XzmIeeFjBV
— FBI Philadelphia (@FBIPhiladelphia) May 27, 2021
“Tabri and Smith allegedly engaged in a deliberate effort to destroy a police vehicle, setting it ablaze in the middle of a crowded public street,” Michael J. Driscoll, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division, said, according to the statement. (RELATED: More Than 4,400 People Arrested During Riots Across The Country)
“They used lawful demonstrations as cover to foment chaos, and in doing so, put people’s lives at risk. Those who sought to turn peaceful protests into riots must be held accountable for their violent criminal acts.”
Prosecutors say that on May 30, 2020, state troopers placed two SUVs at an on-ramp for Interstate 676 in Philadelphia after protests began to prevent protesters from entering the expressway and endangering themselves or blocking motorists, the statement says.
That afternoon, a group of individuals began attacking the two SUVs, which were locked and contained rifles and other police equipment. The individuals allegedly shattered the windows of both SUVs and stole the equipment inside, which included road flares.
The troopers at the scene alleged the individuals threw lit road flares into one of the SUVs, causing a fire that engulfed the entire vehicle.
One of the troopers was hit by a lit road flare, causing his uniform to catch fire, according to the statement. After reaching into the SUV that was set ablaze to retrieve a rifle in order to prevent the rioters from taking it, one of the troopers burned his left hand.
Both SUVs were destroyed due to fire or physical damage.
“Here, the defendants allegedly destroyed a police vehicle, endangering many lives including police officers and peaceful protestors nearby,” Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams said, according to the statement. “This conduct is not free speech and is not protected by our constitution; rather, it is criminal.”
Smith was arrested Thursday morning, according to the statement. Tabri remains in federal custody following his October 2020 arrest.
If convicted, Smith and Tabri face a mandatory minimum of up to seven years in prison.
TOPSHOT – A man tries to tow away a car in a safe zone as the other car catches fire in a local parking garage on May 29, 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images)
Tuesday marked the one year anniversary of Floyd’s death. Floyd died after former Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes. Video taken by an onlooker showed the entire incident, and Floyd died shortly after being taken to a hospital.
Chauvin was found guilty of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter on April 20 in Floyd’s death. Chauvin is expected to be sentenced June 25. (RELATED: Derek Chauvin Found Guilty Of Murder In Death Of George Floyd)