Catskill Woman, Brooklyn Residents Charged For Allegedly Throwing Molotov Cocktails At NYPD Vehicles
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Two Brooklyn residents and a Catskill woman are accused of throwing Molotov cocktails at NYPD vehicles.
Both incidents happened in the early hours of Saturday morning in Brooklyn.
According to the United States Attorney's Office, Samantha Shader, 27, of Catskill, allegedly threw a Molotov cocktail at an NYPD vehicle while four police officers were inside.
Shader was arrested. The officers were not injured.
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Urooj Rahman, 31, of Brooklyn, allegedly hurled a Molotov cocktail at an unoccupied NYPD vehicle, then tried to drive off with 32-year-old Colinford Mattis, also of Brooklyn, according to prosecutors.
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Officers followed their vehicle and arrested both a short time later. Officers allegedly found a lighter, a bottle filled with toilet paper and a liquid suspected to be gasoline in their vehicle, along with a gasoline tank.
The U.S. Attorney's Office says if convicted, each faces up to 20 years in prison.
"Molotov cocktails are violent tools of individuals looking to inflict harm and damage our city. Crimes like these are devastating to their targets and also to the protesters and their right to free speech that police are working hard to protect," said Police Commissioner Dermot Shea.
"No rational human being can ever believe that hurling firebombs at police officers and vehicles is justified," said U.S. Attorney Richard Donoghue.
Protests over George Floyd's death turned violent late Friday night into Saturday morning as crowds gathered outside the 88th Precinct station house in Brooklyn. Several other NYPD vehicles were damaged and officers were injured.
Over 200 people were arrested during Friday's protests.