A man was arrested after he allegedly hurled at least two firebombs at uniformed law enforcement in Portland during unrest stemming from the death of George Floyd, investigators said.
Police apprehended Malik Muhammed, 24, on Friday in Indianapolis after he allegedly tossed an incendiary device on Sept. 23, 2020, “that scorched the uniform” of an officer, the Portland Police Bureau announced Monday.
He allegedly attempted to throw another Molotov cocktail, which did not ignite, two days prior at police who were held up in the Penumbra Kelly Building, a government facility that was a hotbed for violent demonstrations in the city.
Muhammed’s charges include attempted aggravated murder, attempted first-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, unlawful manufacture of a destructive device, two counts of unlawful use of a weapon, unlawful possession of a firearm, and unlawful possession of a loaded gun in public following the results of an investigation conducted by at least five agencies, including the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
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Video of the Sept. 23 incident showed the device bursting into flames, and one officer appeared to flee while his leg was ablaze.
Muhammed is implicated in connection to “tens of thousands of dollars of damage to windows in downtown Portland, including at the Oregon Historical Society,” following a number of events from October 2020, investigators said.
“I am grateful to the investigators who spent many hours over the last few months following up these violent attacks against police officers and the community,” Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell said in a statement. “I am also grateful to the brave officers who put themselves in harm’s way serving this community. More investigations are underway. Anyone who thinks they can get away with trying to murder police officers and destroy this city should think again.”
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Portland became a hotbed for riot activity following the death of Floyd, who died in Minneapolis Police custody on May 25, 2020.
About 40 demonstrators placed sticks and twigs near the Portland Police Association headquarters, a prominent law enforcement union, and set it ablaze Sunday, authorities said. The structure was tagged with the phrases “Land Back,” “F— 12,” and “ACAB,” which stands for “all cops are b——-.”
No arrests were made after officers arrived in riot gear.
