Federal prosecutors have announced that a 24-year-old South Carolina resident faces 20 years behind bars for setting a Tesla charger station – and himself – on fire in protest at President Donald Trump, and Tesla CEO Elon Musk earlier this month.
Daniel Clarke Pounder is accused by prosecutors of tossing five Molotov Cocktails at the Tesla chargers on March 7 in North Charleston, South Carolina. Clarke-Pounder, before he set the chargers on fire and himself, spray painted “F— Trump” in red paint at a parking space for a charging station, according to prosecutors.
Witnesses said that he then set himself ablaze.
The initial police report stated that “witnesses informed the officer that the suspect accidentally set his own back ablaze while throwing the devices,” according to WCBD Channel 2 Charleston.
The extent of Clarke-Pounder’s injuries is not known.
We will defend the right of the public to peaceful protest but we won’t hesitate to take action when the protests cross the line and become violent. In a press release, Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina Brook B. Andrews stated that these types of attacks had no place in their community. “We must stay united in our commitment to safety and respect of all, regardless of political differences.”
Clarke-Pounder received a $10,000 bond at a federal court hearing on Monday. He will be released under home arrest to his family, according to WCIV Channel 4.
During the hearing, a manifesto that Clarke-Pounder had written, which referred to the accused healthcare CEO murderer Luigi Mangione was also revealed, according to the report. Clarke-Pounder said in his manifesto that “we will not stand by idly” and expressed frustration at Trump’s actions, as well as the Department of Government Efficiency, under Musk.
Mangione’s manifesto, which he wrote while awaiting trial for the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson reads: “We cannot watch helplessly as innocent lives are taken and communities torn apart.”
Clarke-Pounder, who was arrested on Thursday, was arraigned Friday in federal court for charges of arson and interstate commerce.
