Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)
Defendant destroyed an American flag by setting it on fire in front of Union Station in the District as a crowd surrounded him chanting, “Burn that sh–.”
WASHINGTON – Michael Snow Jr., 25, of Durham, North Carolina, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to four months of probation, 40 hours of community service, and ordered to pay $525 in restitution for destruction of federal property. On July 24, 2024, Snow destroyed an American flag, which was property of the U.S. government, by setting it on fire in front of Union Station in the District as a crowd surrounded him chanting, “Burn that sh–.”
The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., Acting Special Agent in Charge Courtland Rae of the FBI Washington Field Office Counterterrorism Division, and Chief Jessica M. E. Taylor of the U.S. Park Police (USPP).
Snow pleaded guilty on Feb. 11 to destruction of government property (less than $1,000).
According to court documents, on July 24, 2024, an organization was granted a permit to demonstrate in the area of Columbus Circle, located at Massachusetts Avenue. and E St. NE, directly in front of Union Station. From about 3 p.m. until 5 p.m., demonstrators gathered in Columbus Circle. They pulled down flags affixed to the flagpoles, burned the flags and other objects, sprayed graffiti on multiple statues and structures, and interfered with law enforcement trying to place the vandals under arrest.
The flags, the statues and structures in Columbus Circle, are all property of the federal government. The National Park Service estimated the total cost to clean up and repair the site at $11,282.23.
Open-source and surveillance video captured images of two individuals lowering an American flag affixed to the eastern flagpole in Columbus Circle. The flag fell to the ground still attached to its halyard. A man later identified as Snow grabbed the flag and carried it into the crowd of protesters.
He threw the flag onto the ground, produced a lighter, and attempted to set the flag ablaze. Unsuccessful, he yelled: I need a better lighter! The crowd surrounding the man chanted, Burn that sh–!
Someone handed Snow a bottle of charcoal lighter fluid. Snow doused the flag with the fluid, then, along with an unidentified individual from the crowd, used lighters to torch it.
On July 25, 2024, a user on the social media platform X posted pictures of the incident. As a result, law enforcement located a driver’s license photograph of Snow.
The case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and the USPP’s Intelligence and Counterterrorism Unit, with assistance from the FBI Charlotte Field Office, Raleigh Resident Agency. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Martin and Brendan Horan.
Screen shot from a closed-circuit camera shows Snow (circled in yellow) as he grabbed the fallen American flag from the halyard.
Screenshot from open-source video shows Snow (circled in yellow) and another individual (circled in blue) lighting the flag on fire.
Screenshot from open-source footage depicts Snow (circled in yellow) on the flag pedestal while the other individual (circled in blue) parades around the burning American flag.
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