Rioter caught on video burning cop car at WA protest pleads guilty to arson, feds say
A man captured on video setting fire to a police car during a George Floyd protest in Washington last spring pleaded guilty to arson and possession of a stolen weapon and faces between five and 20 years in prison, federal authorities say.
Video from May 30 shows Tyre Means, 25, light a paper towel on fire and place it in the back of a Seattle police car, inspiring others to feed the flames with lighter fluid, fireworks and other accelerants, which destroyed the vehicle, according to Means’s plea agreement.
Means then reached into the destroyed rear window of another patrol car and stole a rifle bag, a news release from the Department of Justice, Western District of Washington, says. The bag not only contained a rifle, but also a “nearly fully loaded 30-round extended capacity magazine,” according to the plea agreement.
A surveillance camera around the corner from where Means stole the rifle caught him in a fight with another man, during which an unidentified man picks up the rifle bag and walks away, the release says. The stolen rifle was an AR-15, according to KOMO, and anonymously returned to Seattle police later that day.
Investigators identified Means “by his distinctive clothing, jewelry, tattoos and association with a female who also had distinctive tattoos and a significant social media presence,” the release says.
Means was arrested on Oct. 15, 2020, in Bremerton while meeting with his probation officer. He had been indicted by a grand jury for arson and possession of a stolen firearm, according to court documents.
He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 11.
Means is not allowed to possess firearms due to two felony convictions in Georgia and one in Washington, the release says.
Unrest in Seattle
The civil unrest in Seattle came five days after the death of George Floyd, 46, who died while in police custody on May 25 in Minneapolis. His death sparked an avalanche of protests across the nation.
While most of the protests have been peaceful, some of the demonstrations have included clashes between rioters and police, and thefts, fires and other unrest.
Floyd, who was Black, died after now-fired Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck for at least eight minutes, as three other officers didn’t intervene.
After a third-degree murder charge against Chauvin was dropped in October, a judge reinstated that charge on Thursday, according to CNN. Chauvin was also charged with second-degree unintentional murder and second-degree manslaughter.
Chauvin has pleaded not guilty to all three of the charges. Jury selection for his trial began Tuesday, CNN reported.
This story was originally published March 11, 2021 at 4:59 PM with the headline "Rioter caught on video burning cop car at WA protest pleads guilty to arson, feds say."