Federal grand jury indicts two accused in Atlanta training center clashes
Protesters indicted for contractor building fire
A federal grand jury has indicted two people accused of setting fires and throwing explosives at an Atlanta Public Safety Training Center contractor's office, according to the U.S. attorney.
ATLANTA - A federal grand jury indicted two protesters accused of launching a violent attack against the offices of a general contractor hired to build the controversial Atlanta Public Safety Training Center.
Atlanta training center indictment
What we know:
U.S. Attorney Theodore Hertzberg announced that a federal grand jury returned indictments against two protesters earlier this week. Authorities identified the individuals as Katie Kloth and Tyler Norman. Hertzberg said the pair participated in a May 2022 protest outside the Smyrna headquarters of Brasfield & Gorrie, the general contractor for the training center, which opponents call "Cop City."
Hertzberg says dozens of protesters rallied at the site, lit fires, and hurled explosives at the contractor's building. The federal indictment brings two specific counts against Kloth and Norman: damage to property by fire or explosives, and intimidation using fire and explosives. Hertzberg "nobody was hurt, thank god, but damage was done to the building, damage was done to the surrounding property as well. those fireworks caused damage to the building. It also started small fires around the building."
Federal court proceedings
The backstory:
The federal indictment follows state-level charges filed back in April. The Georgia attorney general previously charged Kloth, Norman, and a third defendant, Hannah Cass, with state counts of property damage and arson.
Defense lawyer Josh Schiffer, who represents Kloth on the state charges, pushed back against the new federal case, calling it a selective prosecution. Schiffer declined to comment on the individual allegations inside the charging documents.
But he said "those documents speak for themselves. Ms. Kloth looks forward to an open and transparent criminal defense process."
Protest case resolution
What's next:
Kloth and Norman have until Friday to turn themselves in to federal authorities. Schiffer said they are currently arranging for an orderly process for Kloth's surrender. Meanwhile, the separate state-level case against Kloth, Norman, and Cass is scheduled to go to court in Cobb County on June 22.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from a live broadcast report by FOX 5's Christopher King outside the federal courthouse in downtown Atlanta, federal court documents, statements from U.S. Attorney Theodore Hertzberg, and an interview with defense lawyer Josh Schiffer.