Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum held a press conference on Tuesday announcing an increase to the cash reward in the search for a “very small group of extremists” responsible for a series of arson attacks across the city.
The reward for any information that leads to the arrest and indictment of those connected to the attacks is $60,000, Schierbaum announced.
On July 1, the Atlanta Police Department’s (APD) current training center on the city’s south side was attacked with homemade “incendiary devices” that destroyed eight department motorcycles.
In addition, construction equipment, and Atlanta Police patrol cars were either burned or vandalized by extremist.
Mayor Andre dickens along with Atlanta’s fire and police chief want residents to know—some protestors are being manipulated. pic.twitter.com/ym30udkSak
— Atlanta Police Department (@Atlanta_Police) July 7, 2023
Windows of police vehicles at another location were also smashed about an hour before the arson attack on the training center.
APD also said it believes that the group behind the attacks is also responsible for attacks on construction equipment near the new Atlanta Public Safety Training Center site in DeKalb County and on the At-Promise Youth Center in the English Avenue/Vine City community.
In addition, contractors connected to the construction of the new training center project have also been targeted by the group, which Schierbaum called “anarchists.”
During Tuesday’s press conference, Chief Schierbaum released photos of the group taken by nearby security cameras around the time of the arson attack at the At-Promise Youth Center. Photos were also shown to the press of the damage done at each location by the suspected group.
The Atlanta City Council approved the training center in DeKalb County in September 2021. The site has been a source of controversy and subject of attacks ever since.
In March, for example, a large group of protesters launched a coordinated attack on Atlanta police officers and construction equipment at the location of the future training center. Many of those protesters were arrested and face charges of domestic terrorism, as previously reported by The Georgia Star News.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Georgia Star News and The Star News Network.
