Three Charged In Alleged Firebombing Of Atlanta Police Center Contractor
Three people described as Antifa-linked protesters were indicted this week in Atlanta on charges accusing them of firebombing a contractor working on the city's police training center, authorities said.
Prosecutors say the defendants targeted contractor crews building the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center. No further details about the specific charges, alleged injuries, or possible penalties were immediately available.
The episode traces back to April 2021, when Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms proposed a public safety training center on 300 acres of forested land. The Atlanta City Council approved leasing the site to the Atlanta Police Foundation in September 2021, and activists then launched the "Defend the Atlanta Forest" and "Stop Cop City" occupations and protests.
The training center sits in the South River Forest and became an 85-acre, $115 million project whose costs rose roughly $20 million amid opposition. Protests tied to the site have caused more than $10 million in damage to construction equipment and police vehicles, and the indictment threatens to further inflame tensions around the controversial project.
📊 Relevant Data
The Atlanta Public Safety Training Center is an 85-acre police and fire training facility that cost $115 million to build, with opposition and related incidents increasing costs by approximately $20 million.
Atlanta's $115M PD training center opens after 4 years — Police1
Protests against the training center have caused over $10 million in damage to construction equipment and police vehicles.
Controversial Public Safety Training Center Opens in Atlanta — GovTech
The training center is located in the South River Forest, an ecologically important area that provides climate resiliency benefits such as temperature regulation for nearby residents.
Atlanta's 'Cop City' and the relationship between place, policing, and climate — Brookings Institution
📌 Key Facts
- A Georgia grand jury indicted three defendants on two counts of criminal property damage and one count of arson.
- The alleged attack targeted Brasfield and Gorrie’s Marietta office, a contractor on the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, on May 12, 2022.
- Officials say explosive devices, fireworks, and vandalism caused hundreds of dollars in damage while employees were inside the building.
- Attorney General Chris Carr says the three are among 61 defendants tied to the "Defend the Atlanta Forest" protests previously charged with domestic terrorism and racketeering.
📰 Source Timeline (1)
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