Two men have been charged with arson and obstruction of law enforcement in connection with the fire of a Pennsylvania State Police vehicle during civil unrest in Philadelphia, PA in May 2020.
Ayoub Tabri, 25, of Arlington, VA, and Lester Fulton Smith, 26, of Philadelphia, PA, were each charged by Superseding Indictment with two counts of arson and one count of obstruction of law enforcement.
On May 30, 2020, based on a report of a large gathering of protesters, PSP troopers responded to the intersection of Broad and Vine Streets in Philadelphia at the overpass of Interstate 676. PSP placed two SUVs at an on-ramp for I-676 near Broad and Vine Streets.
A group of individuals began attacking the two PSP SUVs, which were designated as PSP Units K1-7 and K1-17. Both PSP SUVs were locked and contained PSP-issued rifles and other police equipment. Eventually, individuals shattered the windows of both PSP SUVs and stole PSP equipment stored inside, including road flares.
As alleged in the Superseding Indictment, Tabri and Smith maliciously damaged and destroyed vehicle K1-17 by means of fire.
One PSP trooper was hit by a lit road flare and part of his uniform caught fire. He was treated for his injuries on the scene by EMS.
Tabri was arrested in October 2020 and remains in federal custody. Smith was arrested earlier this morning and will have his initial appearance in federal court in Boston, Massachusetts today.
If convicted, the defendants face a mandatory minimum sentence of up to seven years in prison.
Key Facts
- State: Pennsylvania
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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