Two men in the central Indiana city of Fishers were arrested on arson charges for allegedly burning a large American flag.
Christopher Graham and George Drake, both 18, were charged with felony arson and a misdemeanor count of flag desecration. Police said the two entered the Nickel Plate District Amphitheater around midnight on Independence Day and set the flag, hanging behind the stage, ablaze, partially burning it.
The duo was arrested the next day around 2 p.m. Police said they are also investigating “additional minor fires” around the area of the amphitheater. The smaller fires burnt themselves out and didn’t cause much damage.
Before Graham and Drake were arrested, Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness tweeted out a photo of the desecrated flag and said, “It’s unfortunate that someone or a few people thought this was a good way to celebrate the 4th. Our police and fire dept. will celebrate the 5th by trying to find them.”
It’s unfortunate that someone or a few people thought this was a good way to celebrate the 4th. Our police and fire dept. will celebrate the 5th by trying to find them. pic.twitter.com/7932xOqVOB
— Scott Fadness (@ScottFadness) July 5, 2019
The burning came just hours after two Revolutionary Communist Party supporters were arrested after setting two American flags on fire near the White House. Prosecutors dropped a felony charge of assaulting a police officer against one of the individuals, flag-burning activist Gregory “Joey” Johnson, but he still faces less serious misdemeanor charges.
Johnson won a 1989 Supreme Court case that invalidated state laws banning flag burning. Earlier this year, he won a $225,000 settlement from Cleveland, Ohio, over his arrest for burning a flag at the 2016 Republican convention.
