Burning Vehicle Ignited Blaze at Virginian Residence With Father and Son Still Inside: Report

Lorenz Duchamps
By Lorenz Duchamps
June 4, 2020US News
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Burning Vehicle Ignited Blaze at Virginian Residence With Father and Son Still Inside: Report
Protestors demonstrate outside of a burning fast food restaurant on May 29, 2020, in Minneapolis. (John Minchillo/AP Photo)

Officials have provided more details regarding a shocking incident involving a multi-family residence in Richmond, Virginia, that caught fire early Sunday morning while a father and his son were still inside the home during a George Floyd protest.

A spokesperson for the Richmond Fire Department (RFP) shared his investigation with local news agency WTVR, which has some controversy compared to the information in the emotional speech given by Richmond Police Department (RPD) Chief William C. Smith at a press conference Sunday afternoon.

Smith told reporters that “protesters intentionally set a fire to an occupied building,” and that fire crews had been blocked from reaching the scene to provide assistance.

RFP Lieutenant Chris Armstrong told the news outlet his investigation concluded that the fire had been ignited after a rioter intentionally set fire to a car, which then spread flames to the family residence. Armstrong said the fire did not cause major damage to the house, and only the exterior got burned.

Smith said RFP officials “were able to get those people out of the house,” but Armstrong’s side of the story said the father and his child were able to evacuate the home before the fire spread.

Armstrong told WTVR that RFP officials arrived at the scene and saw the father and his son already outside their home “unharmed,” while Smith said officials had to “get those people out of the house.”

Fire crews did meet with interference in their efforts to provide quick assistance to the reported fire, both Smith and Armstrong confirmed in a statement.

NTD Photo
A firefighter from the LAFD extinguishes flames from a burning car following a demonstration over the death of George Floyd while in Minneapolis Police custody, in Santa Monica, Calif., on May 31, 2020. (Photo by Agustin Paullier/AFP via Getty Images)

Smith previously stated that protesters had “prohibited us from getting on scene,” and that “we had to force our way to make a clear path for the fire department.”

While Armstrong later said that only a single protester blocked the fire truck that night, and the fire crew was mainly slowed down due to burning trash cans on the road.

“The person [rioter] did not get out of the way,” Armstrong stated to the outlet.

He also added that several protesters moved towards the fire truck, with at least one protester throwing an unidentified object towards the crew. RPD deputies at the scene managed to provide assistance to the fire crew and lead the protesters away.

Peaceful Demonstrations

Smith and Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney denounced the violent actions of some rioters, who are using the Floyd protests to cause violence and destruction.

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People march past a police officer stopping traffic during a protest against the death of George Floyd in Charlottesville, Va., on May 30, 2020. (Ryan M. Kelly/AFP via Getty Images)

Stoney said on Twitter that he was disappointed about last weekend’s protests. The “peaceful protest was hijacked by people who do not care about our city,” he stated.

Many protesters in Richmond have been peaceful, news outlets reported.

On Tuesday, Stoney marched together with local residents in response to Floyd’s death. Smith, as well as Stoney, said they believe many of the violent rioters travel from outside of the city to disrupt peaceful protests.

“We have people from across the country who have traveled many states to be here. We know that this is an organized effort,” Smith said.

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People march during a racial justice protest in Charlottesville on May 30, 2020. (Photo by Ryan M. Kelly/AFP via Getty Images)

“As soon as you loot a store or set a public bus on fire, you’re not demonstrating. You’ve made it about you,” Stoney stated during a conference.

“When you block law enforcement from allowing fire services to get to a home that has caught on fire, you are not inspiring change,” he added.

Protests erupted in the Virginian city after the death of Floyd, an African-American man who died on May 25 after a Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee on his neck for nearly nine minutes during an arrest.

The officer, Derek Chauvin, was arrested last week and was charged with second-degree murder on Wednesday. Chauvin was held at Ramsey County Jail before being taken to the Hennepin County Jail on May 31.

police officers who arrested george floyd
This combination of photos provided by the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office in Minnesota on Wednesday, June 3, 2020, shows Derek Chauvin, from left, J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao. Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder of George Floyd. Kueng, Lane and Thao have been charged with aiding and abetting Chauvin. (Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office via AP)

Under Minnesota law, second-degree murder is defined as when a person causes the death of another person with intent without premeditation.

Three other officers who were with Chauvin at the time of the arrest have also been charged with aiding and abetting his murder. The officers have been identified as Thomas Lane and J.A. Keung, who helped restrain Floyd, and Tou Thao, an officer who stood nearby.

County and private autopsies determined that Floyd died by homicide. After firing the officers, Minneapolis Police chief Medaria Arradondo said they were complicit in the man’s death, while Floyd’s family and protesters called on them to be arrested and convicted.

Jack Phillips contributed to this report.

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