2 charged for allegedly using road flares to torch state police SUV during unrest in Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA - Prosecutors on Thursday brought charges against two men who allegedly used road flares to torch a Pennsylvania State Police SUV during last summer's unrest in Philadelphia.
Lester Fulton Smith, a 26-year-old from Philadelphia, and Ayoub Tabri, a 25-year-old from Virginia, were charged with two counts of arson and one count of obstruction of law enforcement, acting United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced.
According to prosecutors, on May 30 the men were among a group of people who began damaging two Pennsylvania State Police SUVs positioned at the on-ramp for I-676 near Broad and Vine Streets.
The group eventually shattered windows on one of the locked vehicles and allegedly stole equipment from inside, including road flares. Prosecutors said Tabri and Smith then threw the lit road flares into the SUV sparking a fire that engulfed the vehicle.
A Pennsylvania State Police Trooper who was standing near the vehicle was hit by a lit road flare and part of his uniform caught fire. The trooper’s left hand also suffered burn injuries when he reached into the SUV to retrieve a rifle to prevent it from being stolen.
"Tabri and Smith allegedly engaged in a deliberate effort to destroy a police vehicle, setting it ablaze in the middle of a crowded public street," Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Philadelphia Division Michael J. Driscoll said.
"They used lawful demonstrations as cover to foment chaos, and in doing so, put people's lives at risk. Those who sought to turn peaceful protests into riots must be held accountable for their violent criminal acts."
Smith was arrested on Thursday morning and will have his initial appearance in Boston, according to Arbittier Williams. Tabri was arrested in October of last year and remains in federal custody.
If convicted, Tabri and Smith face a minimum sentence of up to seven years in prison, a maximum possible sentence of 65 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $750,000.
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