A military veteran who was disgruntled about not receiving his stimulus check was arrested on Monday after he hurled a smoke bomb outside of former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, according to police.
Paul Brantely Rawls, 38, was booked into jail after he tossed a “7 1/2 inch fused incendiary device” called a “5 Minute White Smoke” outside of the Palm Beach, Florida, property on Sunday, according to an affidavit obtained by the Washington Examiner. Rawls was apprehended on charges of throwing a destructive device, criminal mischief, and disorderly conduct.
The smokescreen caused a minor car collision between two vehicles, and the city’s bomb squad was deployed. No injuries were reported in the crash, but damage exceeded $1,000, the affidavit said.
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Both local police and the Secret Service conducted the investigation and caught Rawls on video deploying the device from his gray Volkswagen, authorities said. Law enforcement called Rawls, who said he was a former Airborne Ranger, by phone after identifying his license plate. Rawls later agreed to meet with officers, telling them, “I know why I’m here, it’s because I threw a smoke bomb, it’s all on video,” the affidavit read.
Rawls said he was going through “financial struggles” and resented Trump’s administration since his stimulus payment had not yet arrived. After he was placed under arrest, law enforcement located four more “5 Minute White Smoke” devices, four flares, a 12-foot expandable hook, a black glove, nylon rope, and an additional nine smoke bombs in his vehicle.
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Rawls’s bond was set at $21,000.
