PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Two men were accused of setting fire to a Pennsylvania State Police patrol vehicle during a 2020 demonstration in Philadelphia after the death of George Floyd, federal prosecutors announced Thursday.
According to a superseding indictment, Fulton Smith, 26, of Philadelphia, and Ayoub Tabri, 25, of Arlington, Virginia, were charged with two counts of arson and one count of obstruction of law enforcement.
State troopers used two SUVs at the intersection of Broad and Vine streets to block demonstrators from accessing Interstate 676 on May 30, 2020, prosecutors said.
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Prosecutors alleged a lit road flare was used to set fire to one of the vehicles.
Michael J. Driscoll, special agent in charge of the FBI's Philadelphia division, said the pair disrupted a peaceful demonstration.
"They used lawful demonstrations as cover to foment chaos, and in doing so, put people's lives at risk," Driscoll said in a statement.
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As the peaceful demonstration turned violent, at least four police vehicles were set on fire.
If convicted, they face a mandatory minimum sentence of up to seven years in prison.
It could not be determined if they had retained lawyers.