State and federal officials are pushing back against violent and destructive protests by announcing the arrest of a man they believe committed arson inside Seattle’s temporary autonomous zone known as the Capital Hill Organized Protest.
Isaiah Thomas Willoughby could face up to 20 years in prison after his “distinctive clothing” helped identify him as the person who set fire to the abandoned Seattle Police East Precinct inside the CHOP area, U.S. Attorney Brian T. Moran said Wednesday.
“This is the third case we have charged federally for the criminal acts that tainted otherwise peaceful protests. Other crimes remain under investigation and may result in additional federal charges,” Moran said in a statement provided by the U.S. attorney’s office. “Those who worked to turn protests into riots will not escape accountability for their criminal conduct.”
Willoughby attempted to delete social media posts that tied him to the arson, but “various people” recognized photos of the blaze by the “distinctive” sweatshirt he was wearing.
The Seattle Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the FBI are working together to conduct an investigation into the fire and other destructive acts committed during weeks of protests in the Washington city.
Willoughby’s arrest marks the third that the U.S. attorney’s office has made since protests broke out across the United States in response to the death of George Floyd.
