ATLANTA (AP/1010 WINS) — Two off-duty NYPD officers and two tourists stopped a woman's attempt to set fire to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birth home in Atlanta on Thursday.
The Atlanta Police officers showed up at the scene and arrested the 26-year-old woman around 5:45 p.m. after responding to a report of vandalism in process at the two-story home in the historic Auburn Avenue Historic District, according to a police statement.
The suspect, Laneisha Shantrice Henderson, had a gas canister and was observed dousing the historic property in fuel.
Video shot by a witness and broadcast by local television stations shows Henderson in black pants, a black shirt and a black knit cap holding a large red gas canister standing on the front porch of the house and dousing the home with a liquid before bystanders stop her.
Tourists visiting Atlanta from Utah saw what was happening when they stopped by to see the historic home. They asked her what she was doing and then, when she picked up a lighter, Zach Kempf said he blocked her from going back up the stairs onto the porch.
"It was a little scary there for a minute because we didn't know who she was," Kempf told WSB-TV. "We didn't know if she had weapons on her, we didn't know anything."
Following their intervention, two off-duty NYPD officers visiting the site ran after the suspect and detained her until Atlanta Police Department officers arrived, Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum told WSB-TV.
"That action saved an important part of American history tonight," Schierbaum said.
Henderson was charged with second-degree attempted arson and interference with government property.
The historic site is now a museum owned and operated by the National Park Service.
"Tonight, an unfortunate incident occurred at the birth home of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as an individual attempted to set fire to this historic property," The King Center said in a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter. "Fortunately, the attempt was unsuccessful, thanks to the brave intervention of good samaritans and the quick response of law enforcement."
The statement from the nonprofit organization, which is dedicated to preserving the legacy of King and his wife Coretta Scott King, also said, "Our prayers are with the individual who allegedly committed this criminal act."
