A journalist working in Little Rock was among four suspects formally charged last week in connection with the firebombings of police vehicles during Black Lives Matter protests during the summer, according to reports.
Federal authorities alleged that Renea Baek Goddard, 22, was associated with a group that tossed Molotov cocktails toward Little Rock Police Department vehicles on Aug. 25 as a large crowd demonstrated outside the department’s 12 Street Substation, the Post-Millennial reported.
The four suspects were arrested following a months-long investigation by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the report said, citing a Dec. 17 news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Arkansas.
“Today’s arrests send a message that violence targeted toward law enforcement will not be tolerated,” U.S. Attorney Cody Hiland stated in the release,”Breaking into a police compound and firebombing a police vehicle with a homemade explosive device is clearly not a peaceful protest.”
Goddard was previously arrested and charged with obstructing government operations in violation of a local curfew during a BLM protest on June 2, with a court appearance scheduled for Jan. 22 in that case.
The journalist has worked for KUAR Public Radio in Little Rock, contributed to the LGBTQ news outlet Autostraddle and interned for Arkansas Public Media after attending the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, according to the report.
