A 31-year-old man was arrested Friday and accused of throwing a Molotov cocktail at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field office in Atlanta, Georgia, on Tuesday.
The suspect was identified as Inique Hinton of Douglasville who was arrested in Cobb County and is now facing federal charges in the case, WSB-TV reported Friday.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia said in a press release the suspect was charged with attempted arson of a federal building and depredation of government property.
Hinton was allegedly caught on camera walking near the ICE building at 180 Ted Turner Drive when he allegedly ignited an object and threw it toward the building. The object hit the fence and burst into flames. Investigators found burned cloth, lighter fluid, a glass bottle, and a lighter when they arrived at the scene.
Hinton reportedly walked away from the area before authorities arrived.
Photos showed the suspect and what appeared to be a plastic bag containing the items found at the scene:
In his statement regarding the case, U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg said “Attacking a federal building with an incendiary device like a Molotov cocktail is a despicable, terroristic crime that warrants an immediate and severe response.
“My office will relentlessly investigate, pursue, and prosecute any act of arson targeting government institutions and will ensure that the perpetrators bear the full consequences of their actions.”
Video footage showed authorities taking photos at the scene:
The attorney’s office said the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the case with help from the Atlanta Police Department.
“This case is part of the nationwide National Security Presidential Memorandum 7 initiative, which is a White House directed, interagency effort to integrate federal, state, and local partners in protecting First Amendment rights while targeting individuals and organizations engaged in political violence and is led by the investigative and prosecutorial Joint Task Force Vanguard,” the news release stated.
